(GUNNISON COUNTY, Colo.) — What started out in 1883 as a Fire Department for the town of Crested Butte is now a hub of first responders for the Gunnison Valley. Courtesy: FOX21 Anchor Abbie Burke "So starting on Highway 135 from Mile Marker 19 all the way north, east and west, down all of our drainages, all the way up to Schofield Pass, we cover about 220 square miles of our fire protection district, of which most is going to be wilderness," said Robert Weisbaum, EMS & Fire Chief of the Crested Butte Fire Protection District. The staff is small but mighty. Courtesy: FOX21 Anchor Abbie Burke "We are a combination department," said Weisbaum. "We have a total membership of about 55, meaning we have volunteers, part-time and full-time staff. We operate at five minimum on staff every day and then we supplement with volunteers and part-time." They're the heroes you hope you never meet, but should you find yourself in trouble while visiting the Gunnison Valley, it's likely someone from the Crested Butte Fire Protection District will respond. "We're an all hazards approach, which means we do a lot of different types of response from swift water to still water rescue, EMS, regular fire response and additionally we do critical care response," said Weisbaum. "And, it turns out we get quite a bit of very sick people, more or less because we have people coming from sea level up here enjoying our lands and recreating." The town of Crested Butte sits at nearly 9,000 feet in elevation, with plenty of opportunities to go even higher, which can be problematic for some. Courtesy: FOX21 Anchor Abbie BurkeCourtesy: FOX21 Anchor Abbie Burke "One of the biggest recommendations coming to altitude, especially from sea level, is to drink a lot of water," said Weisbaum. "A lot of it is preparation and understanding what your limitations are and what your health status is." He said to ease into mountain living and take time to acclimate to the environment. "There's not a hurry, it's not going anywhere," said Weisbaum. "It's difficult, you come up, you see the beauty of it and it could sneak up on you." "But we want the community to know that if we do have to respond, you're going to get a high-level service with professionalism, compassion, care, and good teamwork." Courtesy: FOX21 Anchor Abbie Burke The staff invites you to stop by the firehouse on your next visit where you can buy t-shirts and other swag, which supports the Fallen Firefighter Fund. Weisbaum said you can also help them out by making sure you fully extinguish any campfires.