Livermore community mourns paramedic Brian Gould

By Linda Bell
Correspondent

The tragic auto accident that took the life of Brian Gould, 42, a paramedic with Poudre Valley Hospital and assistant chief of Glacier View Fire Protection District, touched off profound grief in the Livermore and Red Feather Lakes communities, where residents knew him and the many people he rescued during 10 years of service with the volunteer department.

Fire Chief Greg Niswender said during the Nov. 20 memorial service that not only did Gould save lives, he saved futures--so that many could go home to their families and pursue their lives with the second chance they were given.

"There was nothing we could do to preserve Brian's future. But know this," Niswender said, "we can save Brian's life by taking every piece he gave us and hold on to it, cherish it, and most of all, live it."

Niswender said Gould joined the volunteer fire department after he married fellow paramedic Jennifer Stackler-Gould, who was already a four-year veteran with the department based at Glacier View Meadows, a large mountain subdivision near Livermore.

Both Jennifer and Brian had certification in advanced life support and were the only two in the area with ALS qualifications, Niswender said. This made a world of difference to the many people they helped, especially when time was critical.

Besides putting in his regular hours at PVH, Niswender said, Gould probably donated even more hours per week on the mountain because he was always on call, 24/7, and handled all the department's radio communications in an area where that was an ongoing challenge.

Gould died instantly Nov. 16 around 6:45 a.m. when his northbound Dodge Ram pickup inexplicably veered across Highway 287 north of Fort Collins and struck an oncoming Freightliner semi-truck driven by Timothy Beardslee, 42, of O'Fallon, Mo. There were no adverse conditions at the time of the accident, according to the Colorado State Patrol.

Niswender said it is doubtful Gould fell asleep at the wheel, but he had just put in a full night shift and it's easy to lose concentration. "It was a terrible mistake and might have been compounded by the strong winds that morning, but it just happened," he said.

One of Gould's legacies on the mountain, Niswender said, will be the more than 30 EMTs he trained for volunteer departments throughout northern Larimer County.

One EMT, Sue Hewitt with the GVVFD, said Gould gave selfless service not only to Glacier View but to all the people who live and visit the area, including Red Feather Lakes and the Poudre Canyon. She said Brian was a tireless mentor and coordinated and facilitated all the EMS training.

Hewitt said Livermore Fire and Poudre Fire Authority first responders did a great job with the unthinkable--responding to the death of someone they all knew and admired. She said they did what they could to protect his wife, who was in the first-response ambulance, when it became apparent that Gould was involved in the accident.

Sue Foster, GVVFD's administrative officer, said PFA sent personnel to cover during the memorial service for the Glacier View department so everyone could attend the service.