Darrah done as fire chief, stays with fire department

Posted 2/3/15

Darrah has been with the department for nearly 20 years and was chief for the last nine years.

Damian Dicks, fireman since 2002, now is chief.

“I was assistant chief for three years under his (Darrah’s) command, and I learned a lot from …

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Darrah done as fire chief, stays with fire department

Posted

Joey Darrah, 54, will no longer be chief, but he’s sticking around the Powell Volunteer Fire Department to extinguish a few more fires and pass on his expertise to fellow officers and firefighters.

Darrah has been with the department for nearly 20 years and was chief for the last nine years.

Damian Dicks, fireman since 2002, now is chief.

“I was assistant chief for three years under his (Darrah’s) command, and I learned a lot from him,” Dicks said.

Darrah said he wants to spend more time with his family and to edify fellow firefighters.

He lost a lot of family time due to 24-7 fire calls. And, many hours were spent dealing with other agencies, victims and tending to the needs of his firefighters. He was a little burned out. “It was time,” Darrah said.

But he appreciated his erstwhile crew.

“I’m thankful for the firemen and the support they’ve given me,” Darrah said.

Calvin Sanders was chief from 1997-2004. Sanders remained with the department following his tenure as chief, providing invaluable advice to Darrah, he said.

Another veteran firefighter, Jess Kary, also was very instructive, Darrah said. 

Because Sanders, Kary and other knowledgeable firefighters helped him, Darrah wants to pay it forward and share his experience with Dicks and the newer officers, Darrah said.

Still, Darrah said he has every confidence in Dicks.

“Damian has been a great assistant chief,” Darrah said. “The department is in good hands with him. He knows what he’s doing.”

Dicks said, “I am very happy that (Darrah) decided to stay on, because he brings a lot of knowledge and experience to the department. By him staying on the department, he can continue to pass this knowledge down to the younger firemen.”

Darrah supervised the department and said he strived to improve it.

He obtained approximately $1.2 million in approved grants for fire trucks and other equipment. The grants covered 50 percent of the cost of seven trucks and around 90 percent of the price of all the firefighters’ oxygen packs, Darrah said. 

Sanders initiated the close relationship the department has with the Park County Fire Protection District No. 1 Board of Directors, who oversee firefighter equipment needs. “We’ve had a great board,” Darrah said.

Kenny Skalsky, the district’s administrator, who maintains the department’s equipment, will work off hours if necessary. “He’s very dedicated,” Darrah said. “Gets things done.”

Darrah pushed to establish the standardized firefighter fitness test at the Powell department because the No. 1 killer of firefighters is heart attacks, Darrah said. 

He advocated the construction of the regularly used “burn building,” — a steel and cinder-block structure on the department’s grounds, Darrah said.

The department now possesses three thermal imagers, hand-held devices that detect body heat or fires concealed in ceilings, walls or haystacks. Thermal images can perceive people in thick smoke who are otherwise invisible, or they can see in the dark so firefighters can determine the number of victims in a car crash. “Applications are endless,” Darrah said.

Darrah was instrumental in ensuring city of Powell personnel are present at all structure fires within the city to disconnect electrical power and thus increase firefighter safety and decrease potential destruction of the building, he said.

He said he is indebted to employers that allow their firefighter employees to leave work when the siren calls. “We wouldn’t be able to have a volunteer department without it,” Darrah said.

Firefighters support the community in many ways, including escorting every state champion Powell High School team into town with fire trucks, their sirens and lights blazing, Darrah said.

Memories abound, though some are unwelcome.

The Super 8 motel fire in 2007 resulted in one death.

Darrah was the first firefighter on the scene. Guests were standing on air conditioners outside their second floor windows. “We had firefighters go in and save some people, but we lost one occupant,” Darrah said. “I was the one to find her.”

There have been countless car crashes with numerous fatalities over the years. However, because firefighters arrived on scenes promptly and quickly employed their equipment to rescue victims, many survived horrendous wrecks. “I think that’s pretty rewarding,” Darrah said.

The 2005 fire in the Powell DCI building was a memorable incident. “We figured that one was arson,” Darrah said, a conclusion backed up later by the state fire marshal. 

The Powell Volunteer Fire Department is a family tradition for Darrahs.

His father, the late Joseph Darrah (1938 to 2013), was a fireman for 18 years and chief for two. “As a kid, I was proud of my dad for being a fireman,” Darrah said.

In his youth, Darrah, like firefighters’ kids today, hung out at the fire department. “I grew up down there,” he said.

Present-day department activities for children include pumpkin carving, a visit from Santa Claus, Easter egg hunt and a playground. A dinner usually is scheduled at the end of the summer for firefighters and their spouses. A Christmas party and dinner is held for firefighters, their spouses and the district board members. “It’s become a very family-oriented organization,” Darrah said.

Darrah and his wife, Cathy, have two children, Tucker, 17, and Josie, 14.

His kids spend time at the fire department too. “They’ve been to several fire calls,” Darrah said.

He has two stepchildren with Cathy, Kelsy, 28, in Powell and Tyler, 25, who lives in Sheridan.

Darrah said he’ll likely retire in a year or two, but will stick around after that as a reserve firefighter.

Powell firefighters are aggressive, but very safety-minded in their approach to fighting fires and responding to other emergencies. They’re second to none, Darrah said.

“I’d put our fire department up against any fire department,” he said. “I think it’s one of the proudest things I’ve ever done, is to be on the fire department.”

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