Vote YES for Fire District Consolidation and A Safer Conifer

This November, please vote YES for a Safer Conifer.
Residents of Elk Creek Fire, Inter-Canyon Fire, and North Fork Fire: you have a historic vote this November to consolidate our 3 Fire districts into one. There are many benefits to this effort which has been studied and encouraged by an independent consultant ( Cooperative Services Feasibility Study ), is endorsed by a majority of our volunteer and career firefighters in order to provide the community better service (see page 61 of the Consolidation Feasibility Study), and is favored by a significant majority of community members who answered a survey last year ( Combined Opinion Survey Results ). If you’d like to learn more, or have any questions, please go to our website www.asaferconifer.org/ or visit www.mountainfireresources.com , the fire districts' informational website. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you’d like to ask privately, otherwise, ask here or on the A Safer Conifer Facebook Page!

If you support consolidation and would like to help the A Safer Conifer committee, either with time, a donation, or to put up a flyer/banner/yard sign in your yard or business, please let me know. You can mail a check to A Safer Conifer, PO Box 353, Conifer, CO 80433. Thank you so much!!!

• YES for more full-time firefighters to protect our community and keep response times low
• YES for increased volunteer recruitment and retention
• YES to give our firefighters the equipment and training they need
• YES to make our mountain communities safer

Ballot Measures:
7D, 7E, and 7F if you live in Elk Creek's district.
6A and 6B if you live in Inter-Canyon's district.
7B and 7C if you live in North Fork's district.

The Firefighters and our mountain communities NEED YOUR SUPPORT on November 7th!

A Safer Conifer is an issues committee filed with the state of Colorado, Registered Agent Paul Scott.

A CONCISE CASE FOR CONSOLIDATION

Introduction:
Beginning on or about Monday 16 October and proceeding until Tuesday 7 November (Election Day), voters in North Fork (NF), Inter Canyon (IC), and especially Elk Creek (EC) Fire Protection Districts (FPDs) will have a stark choice to make about the future of emergency response: Do we ‘stay the course’ separately or do we ‘join together’ and try something new as a consolidated FPD? As an ECFPD resident, voter, and current Volunteer Member of many years, I STRONGLY SUPPORT THE PROPOSED CONSOLIDATION.

I believe in the wisdom of an informed electorate; this is my attempt to help inform so that you can vote wisely (especially if you live in ECFPD).

Please note that I am providing both objective facts as well as my opinions, but I am meticulous about distinguishing between these.

Why Do I Favor Consolidation?
Facts

1. All three FPDs (but especially ECFPD) are challenged to meet, in a timely fashion, current fire, rescue, and medical 911 calls in district.
2. Our populations are growing and aging, placing additional demand on currently strained emergency resources (especially EMS. By 2030, a 20% increase in population is anticipated across all 3 current FPDs contemplating Consolidation. And by then, on average, the population served will be still older than today.)
3. For many medical emergencies, minutes matter. In ECFPD, average response time is over 9 minutes.
4. Also in ECFPD, on average, there are just over 3 responders to each call.
5. All three FPDs lie in a region with one of the highest risks for wildland fire in the US: it is not a matter of whether we will have a major wildland fire, it is a matter of when, exactly where, and how well we all are prepared for it.
6. In all three FPDs, infrastructure (mostly fire stations, but also water cisterns and other structures) and most fire apparatus are aging and must be updated and / or replaced: this is VERY expensive.
7. Exactly 1 fire station across the proposed Consolidation region is staffed 24 / 7 / 365 (ECFPD’s Station 1, which lies at US-285 and Richmond Hill).
8. The current Consolidation Plan would increase to 3 the number of stations staffed 24 / 7 / 365. These will be strategically placed across the larger consolidated district.
9. Currently, each FPD receives its own 911 calls separately. Consolidation will simultaneously provide all three current FPDs exactly the same information about every 911 call in the Consolidated district, thus simplifying information flow re emergencies.
10. The changes proposed as part of the Consolidation Plan cannot and will not occur overnight. Response on Day 1 of Consolidation will look almost exactly as it did the day before Consolidation (and does now).
11. It will cost money to do what has been proposed. In Consolidation, current ECFPD residents will see their property taxes increase by 3.5 mils above their current rate of 12.5 mils. (On average, this is the equivalent $13-20 per month, or the cost of a few cups of coffee. For the equivalent calculation for your specific property, see www.mountainfireresources.com/taxcalculator/elk-creek ).
12. Every ECFPD Member (all firefighters and EMS personnel, whether among the
    1/3 salaried or the 2/3 who are fellow volunteers) I know favors Consolidation.

Opinions (Mine):

1. The status quo arrangement cannot stand for long.
2. A ‘No’ vote on ECFPD Ballot Initiative 7D [should have been 7E] will almost certainly result in decreased emergency services within ECFPD.
3. Consolidation (Voting ‘Yes’ on all 3 Ballot Initiatives in ECFPD and both in NFFPD and ICFPD) will almost certainly result in improved services (timeliness, quality, and number of Members responding to each call).
4. Simplifying 911 dispatching across the region should result in more efficient, coordinated, and rapid response.
5. Consolidation should result in reduced operating expense across the entire Consolidated region.
6. Voting for Consolidation is in every household’s best interest.
7. In Consolidation, the anticipated increased service is worth the expected cost to me and my household. If the same true is for you and your household, then VOTE FOR CONSOLIDATION.
8. We are stronger in our approach and response to the fire, rescue, medical, and other emergency needs of our respective FPDs if we are in this together. In short, CONSOLIDATION IS WISE.
9. This is about realistic hope in change versus stasis and fear. I favor the proposed change.
10. You can listen to those whose business and passion it is to help protect you (a service that most of us provide daily, gladly, and without salary) and VOTE FOR CONSOLIDATION, or else you can listen to the naysayers. The choice, as always, is yours – if you vote!

The health and safety of our households and those of our neighbors and friends depend upon our voters. Does the proposed Consolidation follow the will of ‘We the people’? I hope that it does.

Even if you do not agree with me, please vote on these ballot measures. Let your voice be heard clearly and unambiguously.

Bottom Line:
I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE VOTE IN FAVOR OF ALL BALLOT INITIATIVES DEALING WITH FPD CONSOLIDATION. (In ECFPD: there are 3 Ballot Initiatives – 7D, 7E, and 7F – and in NFFPD and ICFPD there are 2 each – 7B and 7C for the former, 6A and 6B for the latter.) For Consolidation to occur, all 7 ballot measures across the 3 FPDs must be approved by voters of the respective FPDs.

Be well. Stay safe. Enjoy today – and let’s all go onward into the future (not backward into the past)!

Philip S. ‘Flip’ Koch,
– a proud resident and Volunteer Member of ECFPD (and a third-generation
firefighter)

Ballots have been mailed from your county clerks. You may mail them back or check for the nearest voting center/polling center locations that open October 30th on your county's website.
Jeffco: www.jeffco.us/396/Elections
Park County: parkco.us/273/Elections
Douglas County: www.douglas.co.us/elections/election-information/

Thank you for taking the time to make your voice heard!

Consolidation Ballot Language questions? We've got answers!

The language used on the ballot for the three Elk Creek FPD ballot issues that are related to consolidation (7D / 7E / 7F) is unclear and lacks context on the requirements for the approval of Consolidation. To provide clarity, we have included a brief explanation of each ballot issue and what is necessary for a complete YES vote for Consolidation.

Elk Creek Fire Protection District Ballot Issue 7D
This ballot measure asks you to vote “Yes / For” or “No / Against” A TOTAL APPROVED MILL LEVY OF UP TO 16 MILLS to fund the proposed consolidated FPD. The 16 Mill Levy total is based on extending the current Elk Creek FPD 12.5 Mill Levy (which otherwise disappears end of December 2023) and adding an additional property tax levy of 3.5 MILLS. Voting ‘Yes / For’ makes it financially feasible to Consolidate.

Elk Creek Fire Protection District Ballot Issue 7E
This ballot measure asks you to vote “Yes / For” or “No / Against” keeping the current Elk Creek FPD Mill Levy of 12.5 MILLS in the event consolidation is not approved. The 12.5 Mill Levy would be payable in 2024 and would continue without expiration. Voting ‘Yes / For’ amounts to zero net change in today’s property taxes.

Elk Creek Fire Protection District Ballot Question 7F
This ballot measure asks you to vote “Yes / For” or “No / Against” the consolidation of the Elk Creek Fire Protection District, the Inter-Canyon Fire Protection District, and the North Fork Fire Protection District to form the Conifer Fire Protection District as a single consolidated fire protection district. This question is asking you to vote “Yes / For” or “No / Against” on Consolidation. Voting ‘Yes / For’ issue 7F moves Consolidation forward using the funding made available by 7D.

How do I vote YES for Consolidation in the Elk Creek FPD?
In order to vote YES for Consolidation, you MUST vote “YES” for BOTH Ballot Issues 7D and 7F. A YES on one and a NO on the other is NOT a YES vote for Consolidation.

Why vote YES on Ballot Issue 7E?
In the event consolidation is not passed, to protect and extend the current Mill Levy of 12.5 MILLS, you MUST vote YES for Ballot Issue 7E. This prevents the ECFPD from having its Mill Levy reduced to 10 MILLS if consolidation doesn’t pass. This is a safety hedge, maintaining current funding levels and creating no new tax levy beyond the present.

We ask all Elk Creek FPD voters to vote YES for all three issues (7D / 7E / 7F).

Please let us know if you have further questions. Thanks!
Website www.asaferconifer.org/
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CBS Denver came up and interviewed members of our committee and the opposition and researched why consolidation was proposed and what it would do for the combined districts. Please take a few minutes to watch this excellent coverage (video below). We urge you to vote YES on all the ballot measures you see on your ballot for your fire district, be it ECFPD, Inter-Canyon, or North Fork Fire, and approve consolidation. As Bethany said in the interview, "It's not the time to say only us. It is not the time to say we don't need anybody else and we can do it ourselves. Emergency services does not work in a bubble, wildfire does not burn in a bubble. And we need to be helping each other."


In 2019, we have 18% of our calls overlap. In 2023, that's up over 30%. Unincorporated Jeffco's population is projected to increase, as well as its aging population. The majority of our calls are medical calls, and those are more likely to be older patients. It does not matter how close you live to a station and think that crews can get to you quickly - if both ambulances are already heading down the hill to drop off patients from other calls (a round trip takes 2-3 hours between when the call is received and the ambulance returns from Lakewood or Littleton), then you'll have to wait several more precious minutes for mutual aid to be called from a neighboring district and those volunteers to roll.

This is not an effort to scare you into voting for consolidation. These are the facts that we see coming and are trying to better prepare for. Opponents say that we don't need this because we're doing just fine, and we can try harder to recruit volunteers. Yes, we are providing good service now, but we won't be if we maintain the status quo. Could ECFPD hire more firefighter/paramedics? Sure, but we have nowhere to house them and can't afford to build out our stations without a mill levy increase. The fact is that volunteerism has been declining for 25 years. Inter-Canyon Fire formed a Board committee over a year ago to address this specific issue and they haven't found any new successful solutions. We need more Advanced Life Support paramedic firefighters who are on call and placed where we are lacking coverage - Inter-Canyon and North Fork where most of our highway calls and dangerous wildfires start, respectively.

Please vote YES for all of the ballot measures you see for your fire district on your ballot.
Elk Creek Fire: 7D, 7E, and 7F
Inter-Canyon Fire: 6A and 6B
North Fork Fire: 7B and 7C

Thank you.

The Canyon Courier published two op eds yesterday regarding consolidation. There are some outrageous claims we feel we must address:

MYTH: emergency services will be decreased to ECFPD residents
FACT: nothing will change in the immediate future while the consolidated district works to hire more firefighter/paramedics. Once personnel are hired, the entire district will benefit from additional full-time, on-duty firefighter/paramedics ready to quickly respond to emergencies from newly staffed stations.

MYTH: Substantial property tax increases.
FACT: for most homeowners, the additional amount will come to...less than $1 per day. You can put in your home's newly assessed value and calculate more precisely using the tax calculator at www.mountainfireresources.com . For the average home in our area, it comes to $8-14/month.

MYTH: relocation of fire/EMS out of Conifer
FACT: while the administrative functions will eventually all move to what is now Inter-Canyon Fire Station 3 near Windy Point, fire and EMS will absolutely remain in Conifer. Station 2 in Pine Junction is planned to become a fully-staffed station, and an ambulance will remain at Station 1, plus there will be fully staffed ambulances at Windy Point and in Buffalo Creek.

MYTH: loss of local control
FACT: the consolidated district will continue to be overseen by a group of residents elected by fellow residents, will still hold monthly public meetings, will still be subject to the same state laws for Title 32 special districts, and will still have to pass yearly financial audits. There is no loss of local control, neither the county nor the state are taking over our fire districts.

MYTH: displacement of volunteer staff
FACT: career staff and volunteers in all 3 districts are IN FAVOR of consolidation because this will make our districts safer, and provide more safety equipment for our volunteers. There will not be "additional layers of bureaucracy" because the firefighter/paramedics being hired are those titled positions such as Battalion Chief. Did you know that all of our Chiefs and PIOs are firefighter/paramedics? They go out on calls, same as the career staff and volunteers - there is no bureaucracy, just chain of command, and everyone pulls double-duty.

Recruitment and retention: ECFPD has the a program to provide full coverage of tuition for any current EMT who chooses to go through additional training to become a paramedic. The Inter-Canyon Fire Board of Directors has a committee on this subject alone and works with Chief Shirlaw to address the challenges of finding and keeping volunteers. One of the problems our districts face is that we don't offer competitive salaries, this mill levy will allow us to give well-deserved pay raises to help retain current personnel and recruit the best new hires to protect our homes.

Vote YES on all of the Elk Creek Fire, Inter-Canyon Fire, and North Fork Fire ballot measures to approve consolidation so we can help keep our mountain communities safer by being better prepared for increasing call volumes, an aging population, and our high wildfire risk. Thank you!

coloradocommunitymedia.com/2023/10/30/op...in-on-consolidation/

I absolutely concur with this analysis. Mr. Newby's claims are almost without exception not fact-based and therefor impossible to defend.

For a second (virtually identical) view of what is fact and what is fiction, please see the following link to Nextdoor, where ALL of the arguments of those opposed to Consolidation were exposed as straw-man shams - and all of them DEMOLISHED ( nextdoor.com/profile/01sw2TTcxRRxDLWHB/?...&query=philip%20koch , especially the 4 dated 19 October 2023, which are most easily understood if read in numerical order). The only exception concerns the associated increases (very modest in size: averaging $14-20 per month) in property taxes, which the Pro-Consolidation folks have made clear from the get go (as do I in my posts to Nextdoor).

These are not merely differences of opinion, which can be quite valid and are worthy of debate, but also deep disagreements about what constitutes a fact. Those in opposition to Consolidation make numerous 'claims' (opinions masquerading as facts), but almost never make clear that this is what they are doing. So, most of their 'facts' are not factual at all.

I will repeat: fact-free fallacies, fabrications, and fantasies repeated over and over again do NOT become TRUE by virtue of their repetition.

I will say nothing of the distasteful methods employed by those opposing Consolidation: you may find those yourself (my Nextdoor post dated 20 October 2023, at the link already noted above).

Philip S. 'Flip' Koch - a proud resident and Volunteer Member in Elk Creek Fire Protection District (and a third generation firefighter)