There wasn’t a sleigh and eight reindeer, but Loveland’s first responders still got a special delivery on Saturday.
Loveland Mayor Jacki Marsh and a group of local officials spent the day delivering Christmas goodies to the city’s fire, police and emergency services stations, to say thanks for their efforts in keeping the community safe, even when they might rather be someplace else.
“I’m very appreciative that they sacrifice,” Marsh said while visiting Loveland Fire Rescue Authority Station 10. “Not just the firefighters, but their families. It’s just a way of saying thank you.”
Joining Marsh for the deliveries was Larimer County Commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally, her daughter Delaney, LFRA chief Tim Sendelbach, and Thompson Valley Emergency Services Chief James Robinson.
Starting bright and early in downtown, the group dropped by each LFRA station, the Loveland Police Department, and two TVEMS stations with a large bag of hand-picked treats and other small gifts. Marsh also made a point to personally thank each first responder on duty for their hard work and dedication to Loveland. She then chatted with them about their families and holiday meals.
But emergencies don’t take a break for the holidays or a visit from the mayor, and at least two of the station visits were preempted by calls.
For many of the first responders, working when others don’t have to is just part of the job. Veteran LFRA engineer John Sanfilippo said that his family has become accustomed to the adjustment, and makes it part of their annual traditions.
“From my family’s standpoint, Christmas is either the 23rd, 24th, or 26th,” he said. “You either move it forward or back, and the rest of the world doesn’t realize it. Same with birthday parties.”
Marsh has been making and delivering the baskets to Loveland’s first responders since she was elected in 2017, all at her own time and expense. For the first few years, she was joined by her son and his family, but after they moved out-of-state, Shadduck-McNally and Sendelbach stepped up to fill the gap.
With more than three decades of firefighting, the LFRA chief has worked his fair share of holidays, and said that the separation from loved ones can be difficult. But, he continued, the close-knit relationships between fire crews can ease that loneliness.
“This is another family,” he said. “While it’s tough, it’s also a celebration too.”
Sendelbach also had praise for the mayor’s annual deliveries, saying that Marsh’s efforts go “above and beyond” what he usually sees from elected officials toward first responders.
“It’s an incredibly nice gesture from the mayor and commissioner,” he said. “The (firefighters) realize they’re appreciated, and I think that’s important.”
