The Falcon Fire Protection District held its regular board meeting Aug. 17 at the Station 1 meeting room. All board members ó Thomas Kerby, Dan Kupferer, Mike Collins, Cory Galicia and Ray Hawkins ó were present. Also present were Fire Chief Trent Harwig and attorney Joan Fritsche, legal counsel for the district.Public commentMike Collins said that former Chief LaVern (Vern) Kauffmanís Celebration of Life would be held Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. at the Core Christian Community Center at 5450 Meridian Road in Falcon. The celebration will be a fire department funeral and is open to the public. The Monument Fire District Honor Guard will be assisting with the service. Kauffman was one of the founding members of the Falcon Volunteer Fire Department.Financial statements auditDaniel Slaymaker with Erickson, Brown & Kloster LLC is the auditor assigned to the FFPD audit. Slaymaker presented the draft audit report to the board. The auditors are issuing an unmodified opinion ó clean report on the districtís financial statements. (Unmodified opinion implies that the auditors were satisfied that the financial statements are free from material misstatements and comply with accounting standards being used and the applicable regulations.) The financial statement presentation used this year is consistent with prior year audits; all required and supplemental schedules and statements were used to keep the financial statements comparative. Slaymaker reported on areas of risks that were considered in relation to financial statements and account balances ó the possibility of management override of controls, proper revenue recognition, sampled material accounts and requested support for certain transactions ó all of the support was readily presented to the auditors. The auditors also reviewed accounting policies of the district and all policies appeared adequate and reasonable. Estimates like depreciation, amortization, net pension assets and liabilities and allowance for doubtful accounts also appear reasonable. Slaymaker noted there were no difficulties or disagreement with management during the audit, and office manager Gretchen Tetzlaff and Chief Harwig were involved during the audit and helpful to the auditors. After signing the management representation letter, the audited financial statements will be submitted to the state and the audit will be concluded prior to the extended due date.Treasurerís reportHarwig presented the treasurerís report and said that 58% of the fiscal year was complete as of July 31. The general fund had received 94% of budgeted revenues and expenditures across the categories were at 50%.The Ambulance Transport Fund has received 56% of budgeted revenues and across all expenditures, categories are at 48%. The district is at 68% of collections on transport.The Capital Projects Fund is at 51% revenue per quarterly transfer from the general fund, and total expenses across all categories are at 42%. There is $606,831 left in the lease purchase category for the administration building.Staff/operations reportsDeputy Chief Jeff Petersma reported there were no reserve standby hours last year because of deployment with the military. The call volume in June was 297. District 5, north of Hodgen Road, had an average 21-minute response time in June, mostly caused by alternative routes because of bridge work on Hodgen Road. The Black Forest firefighters were quicker to those calls. Non-ambulance automatic aid or mutual aid numbers are up, reflecting the aid from Black Forest. The Cimarron Hills fire department was requested on an EMS call because of proximity and severity, the Ellicott fire department was on one call. Ambulance aid dropped a little from the month prior. Next month will reflect an uptick to Cimarron Hills as FFPD committed to be an automatic aid to them for ambulance service.EMS Division Chief Jon Webb reported that transport numbers continue to be high, July had 159 transports and 236 patient contacts. Collections for July were $62,222. Over a period of 24 months, the cash per trip is at $550.69. Year to date there have been 968 transports and cash per trip of $545.29. The new ambulance is supposed to be delivered in September. Webb reported that in the first part of September, the department will find out from the state the amount of Medicaid reimbursement. Harwig elaborated that this is the first year for this request. Hawkins asked what the percentage Medicaid reimbursement represents out of the total payer mix, and Webb will get back to him with the figures. Harwig said there is no specific revenue line for Medicaid in the budget because future funds are not guaranteed.Kupferer reported that total calls are up about 30% as compared to 2020.Administrative buildingHarwig reported on the progress of the administration building. Kirby inquired about a line item for an appliance and the board approved payment. Kirby said there will be no further increase of costs, and Harwig added that everything has been ordered. The directors discussed cost escalations on change orders. Harwig brought up the scheduling of an open house for the new administration building and suggested Oct. 8 at 11 a.m.The FAMLI programHarwig discussed the Colorado FAMLI (Family and Medical Leave Insurance) program details. After a short discussion, the consensus remained that the best option is still to opt out; however, more information is still needed as the program is not finalized. Kerby stressed that the employees need to know the district wanted to opt out of the program so the employees have a choice. The required hearing on the subject will be scheduled in November, with a 30-day notice to the employees in October.The next meeting is Sept. 21 at 3 p.m. at Station 1.Stay connected with the Falcon Fire Protection DistrictWebsite: http://www.falconfirepd.orgFacebook: Falcon Fire DepartmentTwitter: @FalconFireDeptNextDoor.com
