Tom Meehan, one of the longest running volunteer first-responders in the state of Colorado, humbly retired this year, requesting no celebration of his efforts. Still, Meehan is a man whom Norwood Fire Chief John Bockrath cannot help but honor and thank for the decades of service.
Having started in Norwood March 7, 1979, Meehan holds the record for the longest serving EMT-I (intermediate-level EMT) in the state. Gov. Jared Polis awarded him a trophy for this, though likely most aren’t aware, because that’s not something Meehan would talk about.
Throughout his decades of service, he’s been an EMT, firefighter, captain and deputy chief. Bockrath said Meehan has been such a “huge asset” for the department and greater community, on scene for many accidents over the years.
“He was my technical rescue officer, ever since I’ve been here, rappelling and doing Search and Rescue,” Bockrath said. “He’s been in charge of that the 10 years I’ve been here.”
When Bockrath was first hired by the fire and EMS board a decade ago, Meehan was instrumental in supporting the new fire chief.
“I couldn’t have done it without him when I got here,” he said. “He was my ALS (advanced life support) backup. He backed me up and took over when I needed a break.”
Are people aware Meehan also helped deliver babies?
Bockrath said there was a birthing center in Norwood years ago, and Meehan assisted with numerous births. He transported mothers in labor, when they needed a higher level of medical assistance, and there were times he helped a mom deliver a baby in the back of an ambulance on the way to Montrose.
Then, there’s the service abroad. For the international nonprofit Doctors Without Borders, Meehan took his EMT skills and went to help others in war-torn Ukraine.
EMT Sheila Grother said over the years Meehan has been her mentor, teacher, partner and friend since she arrived in Norwood in 1989.
“He was the first call I made when I faced my first fatality as an EMT,” she said.
She said Meehan’s steady presence has gotten many volunteers through tough emergency calls, and through countless hours of training too. Grother has watched hundreds come through Norwood’s department, but most take the training and move on.
“Not one has outlasted Meehan, and I doubt it is likely that anyone will ever break his record for years of service and hours of dedication, here or anywhere else,” she said.
Bockrath said Meehan is a man unlike others, a “rare breed,” and the type “they just don’t make anymore.” He wishes young people could “get a little taste” of the dedication Meehan has given his neighbors and community.
Bockrath said while Meehan was building a successful construction company and traveling for it, he chose to spend his free time volunteering, working as a first-responder to help others. Moreover, he never accepted compensation for anything he did in nearly 47 years of service. Even after Bockrath was hired on as chief and began paying EMS for their time, Meehan refused the money.
“He never made a dime working here,” Bockrath said.
What Meehan has given to others is so big that Bockrath said if he ever does get a new fire house built, he will definitely be naming it after his colleague, Tom Meehan, who so selflessly gave of his time, in order to help other people.
“He’s responsible for saving a lot of lives over the decades he spent in this community," Bockrath said. “He’s probably the biggest asset this department ever had, and he is going to be greatly missed. … He already is.”
Editor’s note: Funding for this story was provided by UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, as part of its "Spreading Love Through the Media" initiative, supported by the John Templeton Foundation.
