S-5! Donates $10,000 To Local Fire Rescue

Colorado Springs, CO - S-5!, one of the world's leading authorities on metal roof attachment solutions, showed its support and gratitude for the efforts of local fire department through a donation to kick off a state-wide, 4-day bike-a-thon and virtual telethon.

Rob Haddock of S-5! donates to SHIELD616 to kickoff a fundraiser for the Black Forest Fire Rescue. See local television news coverage of the donation here.

The fifth annual SHIELD616 Border-to-Border Ride began on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at the Wyoming/Colorado border and ended Sunday, Sept. 13 at the New Mexico/Colorado border.  The volunteer ride covered 372 miles, and traveled up and over three major mountain passes with an elevation gain of more than 18,000 feet.

SHIELD616, headquartered in Black Forest near Colorado Springs, outfits first responders with protective gear – police, firefighters and EMS – and to date has outfitted more than 5,000 first responders in 22 states due to generous community members and businesses.

During the ride, local news station KOAA News5 held a virtual telethon to raise nearly $50,000 to purchase protective gear for responders within the Black Forest Fire Rescue. S-5!, based in Black Forest, donated $10,000 to kick-start fundraising efforts. See related news coverage, with an interview of S-5!'s Rob Haddock, here

“People think we only fight fires,” says Black Forest Deputy Fire Chief James Rebitski. “This department does everything from medical transport, firefighting and hazmat. We don't try to run into a bad situation; a lot of times the situation will develop around us. There have been many scenes over the years where there has been an armed assailant in the residence while we're putting out a fire. There have been several times that we have actually had to post watches in the woods for an armed assailant while other firefighters put out the fire. I personally during my career have been shot at while on an ambulance. We have had many instances where there were guns in the house; we stumbled into what we thought was a medical call that actually ended up being a scene where people had been shot. You never know what you're going to get into. That’s why having protective equipment that will get our firefighters home every night is crucial.”

In addition to this week’s contribution, Rob Haddock, CEO and Founder of S-5!, pledged ongoing annual support of the fire department. Haddock first established his charitable foundation in 2014 and contributes approximately $100,000 annually to a variety of non-profit, charitable organizations both locally and globally.

“Giving back to our community is important to our company and the folks who work here,” said Haddock. “The Haddocks have been in Black Forest now for four generations. The Black Forest Fire Rescue defends us against many different things. They're more than firefighters; they are often the first on the scene. I dread to think but people have actually sniped at firefighters and even set fires to snipe at firefighters.”

This week, S-5! made a donation to – as they say at S-5! – get it started “The Right Way®.” “We’re willing, we're able, and I wanted to see this fundraiser get kicked off ‘The right way.’ It's incumbent on me, and it's my privilege to be able to do this for SHIELD616 and for my own Black Forest Fire department – to protect our protectors.”

About SHIELD616

Established in 2015, SHIELD616 was founded to provide all-day rifle protection to first responders who sacrificially serve our communities.  Its mission is to protect our protectors.  SHIELD616 is headquartered in Black Forest and depends on Black Forest Fire. For more information, visit www.shield616.org.

About S-5!®

Founded by a veteran metal roof expert, S-5! has been the leading authority on metal roof attachment solutions since 1992. S-5!’s lifetime zero-penetration clamps and brackets attach ancillary items to standing seam and exposed-fastened metal roofs respectively, while maintaining roof integrity and warranties. Made in the U.S.A., S-5! solutions are engineered for a variety of roof-mounted applications and are now installed on more than 2.5 million metal roofs in 70+ countries worldwide, providing strength and longevity never before seen. For more information, visit  s-5.com.