JACKSON, Wyo. — Join Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum as they welcome guest speakers and seasoned Fire and EMS members Wendy Blair, Paul Cote, and Chief Willy Watsabaugh for an evening conversation about their personal experiences working with Fire and Emergency Medical Services in Jackson Hole. A moderated panel discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A.
Following is a brief timeline compiled by JHHSM and Fire/EMS personnel highlighting some moments in the history of Fire/EMS services in Jackson Hole.
- The Jackson Town Council approved and funded a “volunteer fire force” on December 7, 1936.
- The first Fire Chief, George Lamb, was appointed in 1936.
- The first town fire truck was purchased in 1939. It was a 1930 Ford and held 100–200 gallons of water. In December of 1939, crews did three days of testing the engine on Flat Creek Bridge. Today the engine is still used as a parade apparatus.
- Willy Watsabaugh’s father Tom Watsabaugh joined the department in the mid 1940s; he was a firefighter for 46 years. Willy served on the department for 39 years, including as Chief of Jackson Hole Fire/EMS from 2010 to 2017. The department’s training facility is named the Watsabaugh Training Center.
- The Wilson Fire Department was established in the mid 1960s.
- The Hoback Department was established in 1974.
- The Alta Firehouse was built in 1980. In 1991, the Driggs Fire Department came under contract and agreed to respond to all fire calls in Alta, Wyoming.
- The Moran Department was established in 1982, and Paul Cote was one of the founding members.
- Station 7 in Adams Canyon was built in 2002.
- Teton County Emergency Medical Services was established in the early 1980s by Dr. Richard Sugden. At the time, it ran out of St. John’s Emergency Room. Wendy Blair joined Teton County EMS in 1986.
- In 2004, Teton County EMS merged with the Fire Department, creating what we now know as Jackson Hole Fire and EMS.
- Today the department operates as an all-hazards combination department comprised of career staff and volunteers with 28 operational line staff, four Chiefs, nine administrative employees, and 60 volunteers spread out over seven stations and 4,000 square miles.
Talk begins at 7 p.m. Doors open at the Museum at 225 N. Cache St. at 6:30 p.m. For those unable to attend in-person, JHHSM will also broadcast the event live. Visit bit.ly/jhfireandems at the time of the event to attend online.
The event is free with beverages available as a suggested donation.
This program is generously sponsored by First Republic Bank.
