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Who We Are 5280FireEstablished in August of 2008, 5280Fire.com is the collaborative effort of several Metro Denver Fire Buffs. Although not common in this part of the country, “Buffing” has deep historical roots in American Firefighting. For centuries groups of dedicated firefighting enthusiasts have been responding to incidents large and small. The term “Buff” was dubbed upon the very first groups by firefighters themselves. The men would stand across the street from involved buildings huddled under large Buffalo robes to keep warm in the harsh winter. “Buff” became the short nickname that has since followed the hobby since the days of horses and wagons. Fire Buffs come from all demographics and professions, two of the most high profile Buffs have historically been Benjamin Franklin and NY Mayor LaGuardia. With the deepest roots on the east coast, many Buff groups have established their own official organizations. meeting halls, conferences, large traveling groups and even firefighter rehab vehicles are a common sight. True Buffs understand and respect the culture of the fire service. Never too close and never far from the action, they unobtrusively stand with cameras in hand. Typically listening to scanners and wearing big city fire shirts they intently watch the operation. Historically the Buff / Firefighter relationship has always been a positive one; the Buffs happy to be in the smoke and Firefighters eager to see photos of themselves working. Technology has changed traditional Buffing, intently listening to scanners 24/7 isn’t a requirement anymore (although we all still do it). Local and national paging, text & email notification services provide modern Buffs with up to the minute information. Web based scanners from all over the country can be monitored by anyone, even by iPhone while away from home. 5280Fire is what I like to call a modern tradition. Taking the ideas that built our passion for Buffing and combining them with technology has built what you see today. 5280Fire strives to be the most accurate firefighting news source in Colorado. We combine no nonsense, factual information with professional photography to precisely tell the whole story. Our goal is to arrive as quickly as possible to capture the most challenging moments of the incidents. First due photographs and video footage are not a rarity and are what we endeavor to achieve. 5280Fire’s Buffs are not fire paparazzi, stringers or fire truck chasers. Never do we wish for property to burn, and hate loss as much as the firefighters we document. Our personal mission is to capture their moments of triumph that can seldom be seen in the mainstream media. 5280Fire’s contributors are 100% volunteer. Just like our forefathers we’re found in the dark early morning hours, bearing the harsh winters to continue this great tradition. Eric Hurst Webmaster / Photographer