The Nederland Fire Protection District (NFPD) Board of Directors met on September 18, 2024, to discuss the success of the district hosting the annual multi-jurisdictional vehicle extrication training, Denver Chop Shop. The Board also looked at the challenge in their draft budget for 2025: a significant salary discrepancy for many of its paid positions.
Captain Wheelock, along with Captains Nick Faes and Conor Moran and District Administrator Sherry Snyder, organized the Denver Chop Shop, a vehicle extrication class hosted by the NFPD this year. 27 people from Central City, Cheyenne Wells, Timberline, and Nederland Fire Districts attended the class to practice using extrication tools, supplied by Holmatro, on derelict cars donated by members of the community.
Lieutenant Candidate Bobby Swanson organized several firefighters on September 11 to walk through the entirety of downtown Nederland dressed in full gear, carrying the American flag. The act honored those who served on that day in 2001, those who have fallen, and those who serve today.
Fire Chief Charlie Schmidtmann reviewed the NFPD’s draft budget for 2025, which indicated that, even with adding a $20,000 boost to salaries, the district is still far from closing its pay gap.
A salary survey had been conducted, based on an extensive survey completed by Timberline Fire Protection District, which reviewed up to 30 different job descriptions and their pay rates, and compared those rates to those of over a dozen peer agencies.
The survey results show a salary discrepancy for a number of positions within the NFPD, including those of Captain, Paramedic, Fire Marshal, and Administrator. Lucy Zamarripa, Human Resources for NFPD, suggested returning to the Board with more thorough salary data to highlight the District’s need for salary increases in their budget.
Schmidtmann presented his monthly report to the Board, which outlined the calls of significance that have occurred since mid-August. NFPD firefighters responded to eight illegal campfires and managed several medical calls, including a walk-in patient suffering from a fish hook stuck in their eye.
Firefighters trekked up to Nederland Elementary School on three separate occasions for fire alarms. Medical personnel also responded to a child who had ingested five marijuana edibles, and attended to an eight-year-old patient who experienced multiple seizures.
NFPD members attended two days of Fire Ground Communications training, as well as Mass Casualty Incident training. Six new recruits were offered positions with the NFPD and attended an open house, hosted by Captain Glen Wheelock. Recruit Academy has already begun, with Lieutenant Candidates Scott and Mandi Papich and Firefighter Tara Sergo teaching the first two nights.
Fire Marshal Andrew Joslin submitted his report to the Board, which detailed the inspections completed since mid-August, starting with TEENS, Inc. having resolved an issue with their life safety systems (alarms, sprinklers, extinguishers, etc.).
The new Ignite Adaptive Sports building at Eldora Mountain Resort also passed the final inspections of their life safety systems, including their hood system and elevator. The building is expected to pass its final fire safety inspection in time to be open to the public at the start of this year’s ski season.
According to the Marshal’s report, a self-inspection program is currently in development, which would allow businesses to submit forms and photos pertinent to their inspection, as well as to self-report any issues with their life safety systems. Businesses will be able to submit their own inspection reports once a year for two years, with the NFPD to complete an inspection in person in the third year.
Joslin indicated in his report that he has been assisting homeowners with the mitigation requirements imposed by their insurance companies.
“I meet with them at their homes, make recommendations on how to meet the requirements, then write a letter to the insurance company once the work has been completed,” Joslin wrote in his report. He also stated that he will ensure that the requests from insurance companies are reasonable and in conjunction with “recognized standards and guidelines.”
The Nederland Fire Protection District Board of Directors meets on the third Wednesday of every month. Meetings can be attended online via Microsoft Teams. Their next meeting will be on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at 7 p.m.
For more information go to: https://www.nfpd.org.
