Cortez Fire Protection District promotes three

Three Cortez Fire Protection District firefighters will be promoted to the rank of engineer this week, according to a Friday news release from Assistant Fire Chief Shawn Bittle.

Kaelee Allmon, Mike McCoach and Scott Heidergott will all begin their new assignments on Sunday. All three have worked their way up from volunteers to full-time firefighters, according to the release. McCoach and Heidergott both began their careers by volunteering with the Telluride Fire District, while Allmon has been a part of the Cortez district since 2013.

McCoach joined Cortez in March of 2013 as a full-time firefighter, the release said. Heidergott joined in May of 2016, but still volunteers with the Telluride district when he isn’t on duty in Cortez. Allmon became a full-time firefighter in February of 2015, according to the release.

As engineers, the three will be in charge of driving the district’s fire engines and operating water pumps while responding to fires. They will all work out of the Cortez fire station on North Ash Street.

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