Falcon Firefighters responded to 1,500 calls this year in a district that covers 133 square miles.The only staffed fire station, Station 1, which sits at the corner of Meridian Road and Highway 24, is 13 miles from the northern border of the district and seven miles to the Claremont Ranch subdivision on the southern end of the district.The Falcon Fire Protection District is going to the voters once again this November – they need more fire stations and more staff.”We have the fastest growth rate of any fire district of El Paso County,” said Falcon Fire Chief Trent Harwig. He also said his district has the “highest call volume of any fire district in this county.””We need 5C to pass so we can build new fire stations in Claremont Ranch and Woodmen Hills and build living quarters for firefighters at the District 2 station (Black Forest Reserve),” he said. “We need 5B to pass so we can staff the new fire stations. We need both issues to pass so we can improve emergency response times throughout the district.”On a $250,000 home, 5B (the mill levy) will cost the homeowner $39.40 per year. On that same home, 5C (the bond issue) will cost the owner $46.73 the first year. As the district grows, that $46.73 amount ratchets down each year. We’ve been experiencing about 13 percent growth, so in the second year, that $46.73 would be reduced by 13 percent to about $40, and so on. In eight or 10 years, it would just be a few dollars. As you can see, we are not trying to double property taxes, which is what opponents to 5B and 5C have claimed.”Alex Donnell, treasurer for the Falcon Fire Protection District Board of Directors, also talked about improved ISO (Insurance Services Organization) as a way to decrease homeowners insurance. as a reason to support the ballot measure. Donnell also said that insurance rates for firefighters have climbed by 20 percent.”Falcon voters have to realize a staffed fire station in Claremont Ranch will benefit them also,” Harwig said. The Falcon fire department must respond to 400 calls a year in the Claremont Ranch subdivision, and Harwig said he expects the number to increase to 700 within two years as the subdivision grows.However, last May, voters opposed two similar ballot issues; voting 668 to 481 against the measure requesting two new fire stations. June Fields, resident of Falcon, said she voted against the measure because she didn’t think Falcon Fire Station 1 should be abandoned and rebuilt further north. Other taxpayers, who wish to remain anonymous, said they voted against the issue because of the increase to their mill levy and the amount of indebtedness.Harwig said some opponents of the measure compare the Falcon fire district to the Peyton fire district, but Peyton runs 200 calls a year as opposed to Falcon’s 1,600.Meanwile, a rumor has been circulating that the Falcon Fire Protection District is considering selling Station 1. “We have been thinking about it, but nothing is going to happen soon,” Harwig said. “If we do sell it, the proceeds will go into the district’s capital improvement fund.”Myths about funding the fire district:
- Charging impact fees: Harwig said it’s currently against Colorado law.
- Direct billing to the victims’ insurance companies: When someone is in an accident or needs emergency treatment, it’s against the law in Colorado to bill any insurance company.
- Saving for a rainy day: There is no money to set aside or save, Harwig said. “Bonds are the same as a mortgage … you need the money to buy the house now, not 20 years from now.”
