August minutes
The Falcon Fire Protection District held its monthly board meeting Aug. 20 at the Falcon Fire Administration Building on 7030 Old Meridian Road. Joan Fritsche, attorney; Tom Kerby, vice president; Ray Hawkins, treasurer (attended remotely); Steve Podoll, secretary; Trent Harwig, chief, attended. James Reid, president and Dan Kupferer, assistant secretary, were excused.
July minutes
The board unanimously approved July minutes, with Kerby’s title corrected to vice president.
Treasurer’s report
Harwig presented the numbers through July 2025, representing 58.3% of the fiscal year.
The general fund was at 95% of anticipated revenues. The total expenses were at 52% of expected.
The ambulance transport fund was at 51% of the expected revenues. The total expenses were at 50% of expected.
The capital project fund had received 51% of expected revenues. The total expenses were at 23% of expected.
The rural water fund had no new activity.
Harwig said the majority of expenses for the four new vehicles on order will be moved to 2026 when they are expected to be completed. He also reported that because of new legislation related to Medicaid reimbursement, the amount the department could claim as a depreciable expense decreased by 11%.
The board unanimously passed the report.
Staff reports
Deputy Chief Jeff Petersma presented the operations report.
There were 325 total calls in June and 2,142 calls for the year, with 1,731 belonging to the district. Average response times across all districts remained stable despite increased calls.
Petersma presented the Emergency Medical Services report.
There were 176 transports in July. The year-to-date numbers showed 1,054 transports and a cash per trip of $511; the 24-month average was $642.24 cash per trip. With the supplemental Medicaid reimbursement, the cash per trip was $767.66.
Lt. Curtis Kauffman presented the fire prevention report. In July, there were 35 building inspections (because of the strip mall) and 20 follow-up inspections, five fire finals, one underground hydro test, one underground/above/ground fuel system, one pre-construction meeting and three electronic development application reviews. There were three Firewise evaluations.
Attorney’s report
Fritsche reported that 2025 pension board nomination forms for trustees were mailed out. The current list of eligible members is 16; he said it might be difficult to fill all of the spots.
She also provided a 2025 legislative update as new laws could pertain to the district. A few of the legislation reviewed: SB-142 provided changes to the Wildfire Resiliency Code Board and requires timelines for departments to adopt these changes. HB25-1009 allowed fire protection districts to establish a program to require removal of dead or dry plant material from private property that can burn and contribute to fire. SB25-007 established funds to compensate for property damage resulting from prescribed burns. HB25-1225 prohibited intimidation, threatening or coercion at voting boxes.
Last, Fritsche gave an overview of the requirements for the 2026 budget process.
The next meeting is Sept. 17.
Stay connected with the Falcon Fire Protection District
- Website: http://www.falconfirepd.org
- Facebook: Falcon Fire Department
- Twitter: @FalconFireDept
- NextDoor.com
