(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) held an open house and citizen awards ceremony on Saturday, June 8, as part of Mayor Mobolade’s 1,000 Neighborhood Gatherings Initiative. During the event, the department recognized community members who have gone above and beyond to assist their neighbors in times of need.

The event featured demonstrations from CSFD High Angle Rescue, HAZMAT, Heavy Rescue crews, and the Special Operations drone, as well as interactive displays from all divisions, giving community members the opportunity to see CSFD crews and tools in action.

“We are here to serve our community every single day, and we get to see them every day, but they don’t necessarily get to come see what we do. So this really gives them an inside look at to what we do during high angle rescues, extrications, so when we’re on those traffic accidents with trapped parties,” said Ashley Franco, CSFD Public Information Officer. “We’re going to do some structure fire demonstrations. So it’s really giving them a little bit of education into what we’re doing.”

Community members who attended had the chance to see a simulated structure fire response featuring the UCHealth Lifeline helicopter, Colorado Springs Police Department BearCat, and more.