 |
October 2001
To all members and prospective members of the Southern Park
County Fire Protection District:
The Board of Directors would like to present this summary of the activities
of the District so that you are aware of our resources and capabilities. The
Fire Department that we administer provides fire and rescue services to the
southern part of Park County. Our area of responsibility covers about 240 square
miles with a full time population of about 500 families. This population grows
markedly during the summer months and holidays as many people have vacation
homes in the area. We respond to structure fires, wildfires, traffic accidents,
medical calls, and any other emergency that might occur in the District.
The Good News
The Colorado State Division of Local Affairs and the Colorado State Gaming
Commission have awarded us a grant of $ 50,000 for the design and construction
of another tanker truck. This truck will be similar to the previous one that we
built which carries 4,000 gallons of water, a 750 gpm pump and a 4,000 gallon
portable water tank.
We have also received a Federal FEMA grant in the amount of $ 16,105 for the
purchase of large diameter hose and appliances. This hose will be used in
conjunction with our drafting truck and tankers to provide high volumes of water
flow.
We are in the process of completing our drafting truck. This truck is
specifically designed to pump 2,000 gpm for rapid filling of our tankers. The
combination of this high volume pumper and our tanker trucks will give us the
capability of delivering large amounts of water to any fire in the district. We
currently have an ISO rating of 9; our goal is to upgrade to a Class 7, which
will greatly reduce the fire insurance premiums for property owners within our
district.
Our Personnel
We have 21 volunteer firefighters on our active roster at this time. Six have
been certified by the State Division of Fire Safety as Firefighter I and one has
been certified at the Firefighter II level. Nine have been trained as medical
First Responders and two as Emergency Medical Technicians. We have 22 members in
the Fire Auxiliary. We are indebted to these volunteers for the contribution of
their time and expertise in providing rapid response and support for our
emergencies.
Our Apparatus
We currently have in service 16 pieces of apparatus which are distributed among
our three fire stations. These vehicles were acquired in used condition; our
budget limitations prohibit the purchase of new apparatus. The average age of
this apparatus is 27 years. With this aging apparatus, our maintenance and
repair costs are high along with the number of volunteer hours expended to keep
them running. The whole fleet is maintenance intensive.
Our Fire Stations
Our main station is Station 1 located at 1745 County Road 102 in the town of
Guffey. It is a three-bay building of steel construction that houses six pieces
of apparatus, the Chief's office, the District office, a kitchen, training room
and storage and repair areas.
Station 2 is a two-bay station of straw bale construction located at 8340 County
Road 102. It currently houses an ambulance, a pumper, a tanker (in the summer
months) and a light duty rescue truck. This station was built with a grant from
the State Gaming Commission.
Station 3 is a two-bay station of straw bale construction at 2406 County Road 88
in Pike Trails. It currently houses a pumper, a tanker and a light duty rescue
truck. The construction of this building was accomplished with a grant from the
State Gaming Commission, over 1,300 hours of volunteer labor and $13,000 in
donations. It is an excellent example of the community rallying around a common
goal that will provide a focal point for emergency service response.
Long range plans include the construction of additional stations in the eastern
and southern areas of the District. These plans are contingent upon the
population growth in these areas as well as the availability of personnel to
staff them.
|
|
