Updates & Announcements
Stan opened the meeting by introducing our Rotary guests: Jeff Lewallen and Olivia Pollcicchio, Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity Community Outreach Organizer
The following announcements & updates were shared:
- “Creating Hope in the World” Pins were handed out to everyone.
- Ukranian Refugees arrived last week. Several people helped welcome them and get them settled.
- Leslie will talk to Art about Roadside Cleanup
- Marlis shared an update on from Blue Creek Eagles and their Destination Imagination event; shared a thank you card.
- Janine has 1 family cleared to go for exchange student (who arrives in 1 month). She’s still trying to pin down 2 other families.
- This Sunday Stan is hosting “The Transformative Power of Communicating with Compassion”; details in the calendar. Please join him.
- Bill: We have Rotary glasses, a lot of them! He’s going to be at King Soopers every Tuesday 11-1 up until Coniferfest to try and get donations (maybe more frequently the week leading up to C-fest). Looking for volunteers to join him. All money goes to Foundation.
- Sandy will be August Sargent in Arms.
Upcoming Events
- CONIFERFEST Update: we are $3k behind in sponsorships; please help!
- Elevation Celebration update: Wes is going to drive the firetruck. We're being charged for only 1 space, even though we need more than that. Volunteer registration is full.
- Mindfest Update: The committee had 2 guests join them from Highlands Ranch Rotary. Charlotte shared information about a program that Highlands Ranch has started to get a fellow (or 2) that would focus solely on Mental Health and Wellbeing at Children’s Hospital. They’ll visit the Rotary on 8/1/23.
- “Rotary day at the Rockies” – Stan will send out notice. It’s on 9/17/23. If we purchase 8 tickets or more, the club can sit together. $28/ticket; $5 from each ticket goes to eradication of Polio.
Meeting program
The Future of Our Fire Protection Services, Jacob Ware, Fire Chief of Elk Creek, Skip Shirlaw, Fire Chief of Inter-Canyon, Curt Rogers, Fire Chief of North Fork
www.mountainfireresources.com
OVERVIEW:
Background: This initiative started 3-4 years ago because call volume is increasing. They are also battling a volunteers problem, down 17%. Increase call volume, decrease in volunteers. They started looking at ways to improve situation.
- Consolidation study with 4 groups: Inter-Canyon, Elk Creek, North Fork
- Indian hills decided to drop out of consolidation.
At age 65, you’re three times more likely to need EMS services and our population is aging.
Jacob been fire chief for 3 years.
Avg home price: $700k now. More people are working now; a lot of people who used to volunteer are working now. They’re always going to need volunteers.
Avg 3.5 people needed to respond per call; 4 professionals working per shift. 27% calls are overlapping. Sometimes they have as many as 4 calls at the same time. Which is one of the reasons they started this consolidation – the districts had need for mutual aid.
They conducted surveys: 1,160 completed surveys. Great response. 63% said they didn’t have sufficient resources. 75% said they supported a tax increase. 69% said they support a consolidation. 100+ people have come to open houses to learn more about the consolidation.
Boards will decide if this goes on the ballet and then it goes to a public vote.
Most busy time: Thursday afternoon
They want three staff stations across the district. HQ would be Inter-Canyon. That cuts out traffic problems in commonly busy areas. Elk Creek station and North Fork would be the other two stations. Decisions were made based on proximity to population and covering high-risk territory.
NO stations will close. None of the stations are failing right now, but in 2-3 years (or sooner), they will be.
Future: “Conifer Fire Rescue”:
- It’s going to be called ‘Conifer Fire Rescue’
- 400-mile square district
- 18 more people will be hired
- They will respond with the “closest resource” – one central dispatch system à therefore reducing response time
Q&A:
Q: Would it be possible to form a secondary group of volunteers? To help the volunteer firefighters who have to go serve? A: Traditionally, the volunteers had to be an EMT or skilled some way. But they want to meet people where they’re at. A lot of people may just want to drive an ambulance. Or organization, grants, at station, etc. Now, they’ll have more resources to pool together to manage that. Consolidation isn’t just bringing more responders to the emergency, but how else can we impact the community.
Q: The plan should have enough paid firefighters to have enough people to fill a truck. A: They’ll have 10 people available for each call
Q: Fire insurance, will this affect our ratings? A: No, they’re two separate things.
Q: Why have you decided to call it Conifer Fire? A: They explored all kinds of ideas. What is most prominent mountain? Conifer mountain. What’s on the news when they talk about weather? Conifer. It’s such a big focal point. It’s on Weather maps. They went with the name that was most recognizable.
Comment: This is a great way to create an oppty for greater community, within three districts. A wider network. A: Yes, Outreach in so many areas. We have so many people who are passionate about so many things.
Q: Will you have a shared dispatch? A: They all use Jeffcomm for dispatch right now, but independently. With the consolidation, they’ll centralize dispatch.
A: Discuss the board and political process. A: There are three different boards right now. All three boards need to agree to put on ballet, then it goes to public for a vote.
A: There aren’t a lot of fire-wise communities up here. A: Agree. They’re going to meet with our Wildfire ready group.
Q: Do any of you have time to be a member of our Rotary? A: That is something they would like to be part of. Once they get past November.
Q: When is chili cookoff? A: September 9th
Q: South metro pipe district is adjacent to Jefferson district. Does it make sense to merge with them? A: They have a different ISO rating. Also, they have different radio systems/infrastructure.
Q: As developers continue to build in the community, will they share the burdon of cost? A: The fire protection services have no control over land use; they have to provide service to everyone. But, they do work with developers to try and share costs, such as implement a Services Agreement with builders. Fire districts have no authority over growth, but they try to work with developers to have them pay their own way.