The Falcon Fire Protection District is going to the voters in November asking for support of a 1.788 mill levy override to cover the costs of new fire stations, apparatus and a training facility.Support for the fire department depends on one’s expectations, said Falcon Fire Chief Trent Harwig. Residents in the fire district get what they pay for, and quick response times, adequately trained personnel, the appropriate number of full-time firefighters, proper equipment and facilities are important to running an efficient department and covering emergencies.A yes vote equates to a $14.23 per $100,000 of assessed property value per year or about $1.19 per month.The fire district spelled out the reasons for a bond, which include the following:
- The area served by the FFPD has doubled in size in the past five years, and it’s expected to double again in the next five years. Plans already on the books mean an extra 11,000 new residences.
- The growth has more than doubled the number of calls received by the FFPD.
- The FFPD is a first responder to emergencies involving life or property and having adequate equipment and trained personnel is critical.
- Current response times range from 6 minutes to over 20 minutes. The response time needs to be reduced.
- The FFPD is under an agreement with El Paso County to protect 40 square miles outside its own borders, including Colorado Center in the south and portions of county land on the western border of the district.
- FFPD needs a training center facility to maintain and improve staff readiness.
- To convert station one to a training facility, adding a training tower
- To build a new station one, which will also house administrative offices, in a central location, which will improve response times
- To build a new station four to cover the southwest part of the district to decrease response times
- To add modified living quarters for 24/7 occupancy at station two
- To purchase fire apparatus
