October 2005 

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 242 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 $ 49,000 for the design and construction of a service truck.  This truck will be outfitted with a generator, lights and other equipment and will respond to all major incidents in a support role.

 We have also received a second ambulance as the result of the dissolution of the High Country Ambulance
District.  This ambulance will provide coverage when our first ambulance is out of the District on a patient transport or assisting our neighbors in a mutual aid situation.

 Our Personnel

 We have 26 volunteer firefighters on our active roster at this time.  The State Division of Fire Safety has certified six as Firefighter I.  Fifteen are state certified 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 personnel, like our apparatus, are getting on in years.  We are always looking for new volunteers who wish to serve their community in an exciting and rewarding way.

 Our Apparatus

 In 2004 we were awarded a Gaming Impact Grant for the purchase of a Rescue/Brush truck.  This vehicle is a 2005 model; crew cab, auto transmission and is well liked and appreciated by our volunteers. 

 We currently have in service 17 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 these vehicles is 28 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 five-bay building of steel construction that houses eight 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 and a light duty rescue truck.  This station was built (and expanded) 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, our rehab van and a light duty rescue truck.  The construction (and expansion) 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.

In 2003 we were awarded a Gaming Impact Grant to expand our fire stations.  Station 1 was expanded by 1,152 square feet and Stations 2 and 3 were expanded by 527 square feet each.  The construction on Stations 2 and 3 was performed by our volunteers, which made for a very cost-effective project.

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.

Our Budget

Our revenues from the mill levy on the taxable property of the District are about $125,000 per year.  Our primary expenditures are for the Chief’s salary, insurance, apparatus payments, fuel, electricity, training supplies and maintenance of our equipment.  As monies are available we purchase new equipment and tools for fire suppression and rescue operations.

Membership in the fire district is voluntary.  A property owner residing within the boundaries of the district is not automatically a member of the district.  Membership in the district can be verified with the Assessor’s Office or your tax bill.  If a property owner belongs to the district there is no charge for our response to a fire incident on that property.  If a property owner is not a member of the district, the owner will be billed at a rate of $150.00 per hour per piece of equipment responding to an incident on that property.  Failure to pay the bill will result in a lien placed on the property by the district.  If you have any questions about your membership in the district, please contact Elliot Linker at the number listed below.

We hope that this “State of the District” has been informative.  Additional information about the district is available at our web site:  www.fire.guffey.net.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Chief Hudak (689-0453) or any of the Board members.  Our board normally meets at Station 1 on the first Thursday of the month at 7:00 PM.  We welcome your participation in our activities and suggestions for improvement.