At 3 a.m., while most Longmont residents are sleeping, Chris Rodgers is running toward a fire.

Moments earlier, he has awoken to a dispatch call airing across his home radios. Within seconds he has decided if it’s worth the photo, and if it is, he grabs his camera, suits up and heads toward the scene.

Rodgers, also known as Code 10 Photography, is one of the few fire photographers in the Boulder County area, a role he has held for the past 15 years. Starting as a volunteer EMT in 2003, Rodgers, 38, has become a household name among local fire stations and works contractually, part-time or through verbal agreements with departments.

“If something big happens, I’ll get the notification, I’ll listen to the radio, I’ll drive over there,” Rodgers said. “I enjoy going when I can, because the firefighters I’ve met throughout the years love being able to see photos of them working for the public but also just like seeing what they do and being able to share that with their families.”

From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, Rodgers works as a radio electronics technician. But he got his start taking photos whenever he had a free moment working on an ambulance as a young adult.

“I started bringing a camera with me, and I was on these really interesting scenes with helicopters, crashes, fire assists, just a whole bunch of stuff,” Rodgers said. “So I would take pictures when I could, when I had the opportunity.”

While volunteering, Rodgers began working as an EMT for Pridemark Paramedic Services in Boulder County, where he would come in on his days off and take photos of the crews working. Through a co-worker, Rodgers connected with Boulder Rural Fire Rescue, which led him to work with Mountain View Fire Rescue, the Longmont Fire Department and Boulder Fire-Rescue.

“Fire photography, rescue photography is kind of my topic of interest, that’s where I’ve stuck,” Rodgers said. “Other photographers like landscape, other photographers like portraits, I stuck with the fire photography so when there’s an opportunity for that to happen, that’s when I go.”

For Rodgers, his photography isn’t about the pay, awards or hopes of turning it into a full-time career, but the enjoyment of seeing his skills develop over time.

“The drive is to strive for a really good photo,” Rodgers said. “The further you go back in my photos on social media, you see that I had lower quality photos, maybe something I could have done better. As I progress throughout the years, I see my photos get better. So that’s kind of my drive.”

Rodgers added that he doesn’t take pictures to get the perfect shot of disaster but to capture the courageous people who respond. He said he hopes his work shows the public the hard work that first responders do to save lives and property.

“One of the big things I’ve been doing a lot lately is taking photos of fire academy training sessions,” Rodgers said. “I’ve done that for a couple years now, and I enjoy getting to see those firefighters actually out on the line being firefighters and running real calls. It’s kind of like watching someone grow up.”

Rodgers recalls responding to a structure fire in December 2022 which resulted in the Sunshine Fire. Rodgers said firefighters initially responded to a call for a structure fire. However, by the time they arrived, it had spread to surrounding woodland. As crews worked to stop the spread he shot a Boulder Rural firefighter carrying a hose down a steep hill while a home burned behind him.

“That’s one of my favorite photos,” Rodgers said. “Sometimes you’re going for one thing and something switches really quickly. Even though you’re not prepared exactly for something that’s happening now, you’re still ready to go.”

With a constant ear on the emergency scanner, Rodgers is thankful to his wife for her support of his passion, even at times where she has woken up at odd hours in the night to a call.

Code 10 Photography can be followed on Instagram at @code10photos and on Facebook at Code 10 Photography.