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Volume 17, Number 30 | September 11-17, 2025
Remembering Fran Sr. Orosz ...in honor of all first responders this Sept. 11
JAMES STEINDLER Contributing Editor
Lieutenant Francis “Fran Sr.” Orosz volunteered for the Carbondale Fire Department in its heyday, and had a reputation as one hell of an ambulance driver. After his passing, on a quiet day in late August 1996, he was honored with a procession down Main Street — the only one in modern memory — which was such big news that its coverage graced the front page of The Valley Journal’s Aug. 29 issue and a full page spread within. Fran Sr. was born and raised in Pennsylvania, served in the Navy in the ‘50s and developed a knack for driving at a young age, having driven stock cars for a stint. He came West to raise a family of his own, settling in Wheat Ridge, Colorado before meeting his wife, Myna (Hughes) Orosz, and planting for good on Rose Lane outside Carbondale. He started Roaring Fork Rentals, a modest shop at the start, initially based at the recently demolished strip mall just north of La Fontana Plaza
before relocating to where Roaring Fork Tire is today. He was beginning to make a name for himself here, and the rental business would only bring more folks into his orbit. His sons, Fran Jr. and Jeff Orosz, continue to run the business to this day, now based off Highway 82, east of Thunder River Market. Fran Sr.’s portrait hangs above the counter, and customers who file in are mostly on a first name basis — keeping intact the sense of community their dad inspired. Carbondale Fire Chief Rob Goodwin and Jeff go back to high school days; and Ron Leach, who was the chief of Carbondale Fire at the time, met Fran Sr. once he and Goodwin joined in ‘86 or ‘87. Fran Jr. had already signed on and Jeff came on board shortly after his dad. “His two sons … were core members of the fire department, too,” said Leach. It was a family calling, and even today, Jeff’s son, Brandon Deter, is the training chief for Carbondale Fire.
Carbondale was a small town then, and Leach recalled gathering nearly every morning at the Roaring Fork Rentals shop for coffee. He described Fran Sr. as someone who shaped Carbondale in his own way. “People were drawn to him,” added Goodwin. This was around a time when the national 911 service hadn’t quite been implemented locally. Emergencies were reported to a seven-digit number, and dispatch would set up a conference call for available volunteers. “Then it became time for everybody to drive to the fire department,” said Leach with a grin. That transpired as several civilian vehicles equipped with flashing red bubble lights whipping through town to heed the call. “The worse the call, the faster they’d go,” said Leach. “It was a rodeo,” added Goodwin. Typically, whoever got their first got a choice seat. But Fran continued on page 16
Following the procession, family and friends laid Fran Sr. to rest at the Hillcrest Cemetery. Photo by Carol Craven, The Valley Journal
Photo by Lynn Burton, The Valley Journal
(Left) Fran Sr. Orosz, courtesy photo