Trent Beachy, Firefighter

Trent Beachy
Golden Firefighter Trent Beachy is back in Colorado after breaking
his neck during a trip to the Midwest over Thanksgiving weekend.
Beachy and two other people were injured when his pick up truck
veered off the highway in Iowa and rolled multiple times before
coming to rest on its roof.

Beachy had to be extricated from the vehicle and was hospitalized in
Omaha, Nebraska for two weeks where he underwent surgery to fuse
three broken vertebrae in his neck. The two passengers, Golden
Firefighter Bruce Peters and Beachy's girlfriend, were treated and
released with minor injuries.

Last week, Beachy was transferred to Craig Hospital in Englewood,
Colorado to begin his rehabilitation. Craig is nationally known as a
leading treatment center for spinal cord injuries. Doctors are still
evaluating his injuries, so no timetable has been set for his
recovery. Initial estimates indicated it could take up to a year for
Beachy to make a full recovery.

While Beachy has movement in all of his extremities, he still suffers
from some weakness in his arms.

Numerous members of the Golden Fire Department have taken time to
visit Beachy. Several people, including Chief John Bales and Chaplain
Kevin Kirby, traveled to Nebraska to visit him before and after his
surgery.

The volunteer membership took up a collection and purchased a new
iPod which they filled with music and movies from their own
collections to keep him entertained while he is in the hospital.

Throughout this experience, Beachy has remained positive and is
working hard towards a full recovery. He has developed a new
appreciation for life and his family at the Golden Fire Department.