Sen. Fred Baldwin of Kemmerer is shown at the scene of a local fire. Baldwin has worked for the Kemmerer Volunteer Fire Department for 26 years, three of which he served as volunteer fire chief. He announced in late February that he will not seek reelection to the Wyoming Senate.

(COURTESY PHOTO)

Sen. Fred Baldwin shows a large elk he harvested. An avid outdoorsman, Baldwin said he hopes to spend more time outdoors after his term in the Wyoming Senate expires at the end of the year.

(COURTESY PHOTO)

Parry and Fred Baldwin

(COURTESY PHOTO)

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KEMMERER — After nearly a decade of service in the Wyoming Legislature, Sen. Fred Baldwin announced he will not seek another term. He is far from retiring, however, and said he plans to continue to dedicate himself to a life of service for others.

During the 2023 legislative session, Baldwin had the highest rate of success as lead bill sponsor, hitting 100%, as all six of his bills passed both chambers. Despite the political accomplishments, he is transitioning to focusing on other endeavors.

Baldwin is currently serving as volunteer fire chief at the Kemmerer Fire Department. He has a history of fighting fires (including forest fires for the BLM) and continues to commit time to the service because of the need.

With 30 volunteer positions available in Kemmerer, only 19 are filled. Baldwin said the state relies on volunteer fire and EMT services, and there is a shortage. He has volunteered at the Kemmerer Fire Station for 26 years and served as fire chief for three years.

He previously worked for Natrona County Fire District, Rawlins Fire Department, and Carbon County Fire Department.

Serving as a volunteer firefighter is just one aspect of Baldwin’s community bond. Upon receiving his physician assistant degree in Utah, he was ready to return to Wyoming. As a native of Lincoln County, it made sense to Baldwin to turn down a job offer in Maine and accept a position as a medical professional in Kemmerer.

Following a short stint as a PA in Rawlins, he moved to Kemmerer to work at the local hospital in 1996.

Baldwin said the decision to return to Lincoln County was an easy one; as an avid sportsman, he looked forward to living near some of the best hunting and fishing areas around. After living in Kemmerer and operating Mountain Medicine clinic in Evanston, he was offered and accepted a position with Fossil Butte Medical Group in Kemmerer. He now serves patients from the surrounding area.

“There are a lot of parts of medicine that are very rewarding. I like to see people improve and get better,” he said. Sometimes, he said, the life of a health profession is difficult and heartbreaking. “There are times where the gratitude is from seeing people get comfortable and [be] at peace.”

Baldwin’s wife, Parry Davison, a Kemmerer native who is also in the medical profession. Being a CRNA and nurse anesthetist, she travels around the state and, like Baldwin, wears multiple hats. Davison has recently opened a business in the Old City Hall called Wyoming Radiant Spa Infusions and plans to relocate to a building next to the Victory Theater, which the couple owns. 

Although Baldwin and his wife remain busy, he said he hopes to get a little relaxation and family time in after leaving his legislative duties. He is, however, acutely aware that there is a need, perhaps now more than ever, for service. With growth and development on the horizon for Kemmerer, Baldwin said he worries that the lack of services may be problematic.

“Kemmerer does not have OB services or EMT. It is a growing problem,” he said. Baldwin has been in the governor’s ear about the issue, having conversations regarding the short supply of services and the increasing need to rely on volunteers for crucial needs.

Like firefighting, Baldwin said, “Most EMT services in the state are offered by volunteers and we are trying to change that. People don’t have time to volunteer like they used to. The demand is higher than ever, and there is a lot of training.”

As chair of the Labor, Health, and Social Services Committee in the Wyoming Senate, he said he realizes people lead busy lives and are not always able or willing to volunteer as much as the state may be relying on.

“Last interim, one of our major topics was recruiting for volunteer services,” Baldwin told the Gazette.    

As the volunteer services issue weighs on him, he said he is most passionate about the area of mental health. Serving as chair on the Committee of Mental Health and Vulnerable Adult Task Force, he is aware that Wyoming has a mental health crisis, sitting as number three in the nation for suicide.

Baldwin has sponsored and helped pass several mental health bills. He encourages people to ask for help and plans to stay involved in raising awareness.

As for getting involved in politics, Baldwin said, “I just kind of fell into it.”

Having been in leadership roles but not in politics, when his mother-in-law retired as a Wyoming representative, he ran for her spot. Laughing, he said, “She asked if I wanted to run and I thought, ‘Sure, how bad can it be?’”

Looking back on his career, Baldwin said, “It’s been good. It’s been a challenge.”

Baldwin served in the Wyoming House of Representatives for a term from 2015 to 2016 before being elected to the Wyoming Senate in 2017, representing Senate District 14 for almost 10 years. Unexpected challenges for him included explaining to people how the political system works.

If people educate themselves about how government works, Baldwin said, citizens can better understand laws and make changes.

“People need to be exposed, sit in meetings, and see how the system works. Pick a bill of interest and follow it through the process,” he said.

Mentioning local funding distribution, issues such as potholes boil down to funding issues. Though the state gives money to cities and counties, he said, property taxes are an essential part of funding communities.

“Property taxes go toward road repair, fire departments, cemeteries, senior citizens districts and schools. Lowering property taxes may benefit the individual but local government will not have adequate funding,” he said.

With more people moving to Wyoming due to its lower taxes and the freedoms the state offers, the issue is complex. While recognizing the higher market value has created an issue for those who can’t afford increased property taxes, he said, “I don’t know that there is a silver bullet to fix that.”

Wyoming currently has the lowest tax in the nation and has greatly relied on energy production. With that resource slowing down, the state will need a more consistent source of funding. Baldwin said with growth in the works for Kemmerer it will be important to be ready.

“Slow growth will be good for Kemmerer. It takes time,” he said.

There were multiple factors in Baldwin’s decision to leave the legislature, one of which was being able to spend more time at home with his family. He still is required to travel for various national task forces that he is a part of, but he said he is looking forward to taking some vacations and planning a musk ox hunting trip with his son for his son’s graduation.   

Baldwin advises younger generations to be concerned and interested in others.

“Get involved in how the world works,” he said. To do that, he suggests getting off the computer and understanding the world. “If you are concerned for others, you will want to serve,” he said.