The Falcon Fire Protection District held its regular monthly board meeting Oct. 21. All board members were present except for Cory Galicia, who participated via conference call.Treasurerís reportThe fiscal year was 75 percent complete as of Sept. 30. Fire Chief Trent Harwig reported that 98 percent of anticipated revenue has been received, and general fund expenditures were at 65 percent.Incident statisticsFFPD responded to 150 incidents in September. The year-to-date incident total is 1,458, down from 1,474 for the same period in 2014.Plymovent exhaust system at Station 3Installation of the Plymovent exhaust system at Station 3 is on hold pending completion of a Federal Emergency Management Agency mandated Environmental and Historical Preservation compliance review. The EHP review examines potential impacts to the environment and historical buildings.Harwig said when the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program awarded FFPD the grant for the exhaust system, the award paperwork stated an EHP ìmayî be required. ìNothing we received from AFG said we had to do it,î he said. Two months later, FEMA notified the fire district that a completed EHP was required before grant funds would be released.Harwig submitted the EHP package, including the required interior and exterior photographs. However, the contractor started the project the day before and the partial Plymovent system was visible in the photos. FEMA responded that the project appeared to be complete prior to the EHP review, and they denied funding.The project is not complete. ìNowhere does it say you cannot start the project,î Harwig said. He immediately suspended work on the system and contacted the local FEMA representative, who seemed optimistic the issue can be resolved. Harwig said the AFG grant is responsible for notifying their grantees that FEMA requires a completed EHP review prior to starting a project. AFG also has acknowledged that the language in the grant award documentation needs to be ìtightened up.îBoth Harwig and board president Dan Kupferer said the project would be completed, even if the district has to fund it because it is a health and safety issue.Station 4The district is still working on obtaining a site for Station 4.Harwig said the Colorado Springs Fire Department currently responds to about 200 calls per year in District 4 under the Memorandum of Understanding FFPD has with the city. FFPD will absorb that call volume when Station 4 opens.Growth in FFPD District 4Harwig said a new King Soopers Marketplace has been announced for the southeast corner of Constitution Avenue and Marksheffel Road. Preliminary plans were received for an as yet unidentified 49,000-square-foot building northeast of the intersection, on the opposite corner. The district also received Filing 2 for Hannah Ridge, which includes 39 residential lots.CHFD proposalA representative of the Cimarron Hills Fire Department sent a letter to individual members of the FFPD board proposing that FFPD contract with CHFD to provide emergency services in lieu of building Station 4. Harwig said such an arrangement ìdoesnít benefit Falconís district as a whole. To put our own station and our own staff there benefits the rest of the district.îKupferer said having a Falcon fire station in District 4 with the CHFD station nearby improves services for everyone, and entering into such a contract ìdeprives the entire area of better protection.î He also said when the Falcon Fire Protection District was formed, CHFD declined to include properties that are now part of FFPD District 4.PeytonHarwig said FFPD has received the agreement for Peyton Fire Protection District to lease space in Station 6 to store a water tender over the winter. However, there were a few items that needed to be addressed, including clarification of liability. The FFPD attorney sent the agreement back to the PFPD attorney.2016 budgetHarwig said the preliminary 2016 budget was sent to FFPD directors by the statutory Oct.15 deadline. The proposed budget is posted at Station 3 for public review and comment.Among the major expenditures budgeted for 2016 are obtaining land and a 10-year lease-purchase for Station 4.Another major expense is a new fire engine for Station 4. Harwig said fire apparatus continues to increase in price, partly because of changes to emissions regulations and National Fire Protection Association safety standards for fire apparatus. The new engineís base price is estimated at $485,000 plus $104,000 in equipment (hose, axes, chainsaws, etc.). The district will save $75,000 by moving existing extrication and medical equipment from a reserve engine to the new engine.The budget hearing is scheduled for Dec. 9.Radio donationThe board approved the donation of 10 handheld 800 mHz radios to Ellicott Fire Department. The radios are excess equipment, resulting from FFPDís recent radio upgrades. They will help improve the Ellicott departmentís ability to communicate with other county agencies.
