A conversation with David Rocco, BFFR fire chief

By Robin Widmar

David Rocco has been the chief of Black Forest Fire Rescue since October 2025, but he is no stranger to the department or the area. After 32 years of service, Rocco retired from the Colorado Springs Fire Department with the rank of battalion chief. During that time, he spent a couple of years as a volunteer firefighter with the Falcon Fire Protection District. He also recently served as deputy chief of operations with BFFR during the tenure of the department’s previous interim fire chief. His experience and knowledge of fire service operations and administration are beneficial in leading BFFR into its next chapter.

Rocco spoke about some of the challenges that come with transitioning from a large urban fire department to one in unincorporated Black Forest. “It’s a smaller department than I’m used to, and it’s a rural fire department without all of the staffing that I’m accustomed to,” he said. They have good equipment and skilled personnel, just not as many as a municipal department. Another challenge is water supply, which he described as “way different” from that in the city. Black Forest lacks the water infrastructure and fire hydrants of the city, so firefighters typically haul their own water to fire scenes.

These are common issues among small, rural fire departments, making partnerships with other agencies crucial. One of the benefits of Rocco’s long fire service career is knowing the other fire chiefs across El Paso County. Building on established relationships has “been a huge advantage” over having to start from scratch, he said.

Fire chiefs must deal with a variety of challenges, ranging from budgets, equipment and personnel to wider-reaching concerns such as current and future development. Rocco cited planning for continued growth within the 52-square-mile fire district as one of his priorities. “To the north and to the east is going to be suburbia,” he said. “It just is. And they’re going to build really big houses, and at some point, some kind of commercial development has to come in here. So we’ve got to be ahead of all of that … in being able to protect the citizens and provide them with services.”

Rocco mentioned that BFFR has filed for approval to collect impact fees to help boost the district’s finances and provide for future infrastructure and equipment. “There was no real plan for future revenue,” he said. “So we are looking at impact fees because all this development is coming. If we don’t embrace that now, we’re going to be way behind.”

It is not unusual for smaller fire departments to experience significant turnover in personnel as firefighters move on to other opportunities. Rocco recognizes this, so he and his staff are working to create incentives to help retain employees. “Hopefully, we can make this a good place to work so they don’t want to go somewhere else,” Rocco said. Among the efforts being made are developing fire officers, bolstering staffing and establishing a formal promotional process. Another initiative is the creation of an internal rank structure modeled on a more traditional fire service hierarchy. For example, Rocco explained that the department has not had a driver/engineer position, meaning that firefighters who operate fire apparatus lacked any formal rank designation or pay differential for the added responsibility. “There have been guys driving here for years and never made a dime to drive,” he said. The new rank structure will address this and other leadership positions. Rocco mentioned that a promotional ceremony will take place in April.

Rocco has several goals for BFFR, all underpinned by a philosophy often promoted by the late Chief Alan Brunacini of the Phoenix Fire Department: always be nice. “We’ve kind of adopted the ‘be nice’ mindset,” he said. “So be nice to each other, be nice to people, be nice all the time.” These values extend beyond simple manners and emphasize providing the best service possible to the community, he added.

Additionally, Rocco wants to continue building community relationships. This includes regularly attending local events such as farmer’s markets, participating in the annual parade, promoting wildfire mitigation programs and more. He also aims to increase the department’s social media presence so that district residents have additional ways to receive information.

It is a busy time at BFFR, and a lot of work is going into the department’s internal and external programs. Fire Chief David Rocco wants people to know that BFFR firefighters and staff have a tremendous amount of love and respect for Black Forest and its residents. They are dedicated to protecting lives and property. “We’re here to support the community.”