Three Firefighting Personnel Killed While Protecting the Citizen’s of Colorado

Centennial - It is with a heavy heart that I am writing to you to inform you of the line-of-duty death of three firefighting personnel while serving and protecting the citizen’s of Colorado.

Fire Chief Terry DeVore and firefighter John Schwartz, Jr. of the Olney Springs Volunteer Fire Department were killed late yesterday afternoon while fighting the Ordway wildland fire.  Chief DeVore and firefighter Schwartz were killed in their fire apparatus while trying to cross a bridge over a drainage ditch about a mile west of Ordway.  Due to heavy smoke conditions they were apparently unaware that the fire had already damaged or collapsed the bridge.

Gert Marais, 42, of Fort Benton, Montana, was killed when the Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) he was piloting crashed while fighting the wildland fire at Fort Carson.  Pilot Marais crashed about 6:20 yesterday evening along Colorado 115 at mile marker 34 near Fort Carson.  Marais worked for Aero Applicators, a Sterling company that contracts aerial firefighting service.

Both Chief DeVore, 30, and firefighter Schwartz, 38, were volunteers with Olney Springs and worked full-time as correctional officers for the Colorado Department of Corrections at the Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility.

Chief DeVore is survived by his wife Jennifer and four children, ages 10 to 4.  Chief DeVore’s father, Bruce, is also a volunteer firefighter with Olney Springs and was also involved in fighting the Ordway fire.  Firefighter Schwartz is the father of four boys, ages 4 to 16.

The Local Assistance State Team (LAST) has been dispatched to Ordway to assist the local fire department.  A separate team was made available to Aero Applicators.

On behalf of Chief Douglas Forsman, President of the Colorado State Fire Chiefs’ Association, we wish to offer our deepest condolences to the families of Fire Chief Terry DeVore and firefighter John Schwartz, Jr., the members of the Olney Springs Volunteer Fire Department, and the Colorado Department of Corrections.  Our deepest condolences are also extended to the family of pilot Gert Marais and the employees of Aero Applicators.

Paul L. Cooke, Executive Director

Colorado State Fire Chief's Association

Posted: 04-16-08 / Corrected: 04-18-08

Representative Witwer Honored by Fire Chiefs Association

Centennial – At their quarterly meeting held on Friday, March 14, 2008, the Colorado State Fire Chiefs’ Association (CSFCA) honored Representative Rob Witwer (R-Genesee) for his contributions to fire and life safety during the 2007 legislative session.

Douglas Forsman, Chief of the Union Colony Fire Rescue Authority (Greeley) and CSFCA President called the recognition “long overdue.”  Rep. Witwer was to be recognized at the Association’s Annual Meeting in Breckenridge last November, but inclement weather kept him away from the event.

Specifically, Rep. Witwer was honored as the Colorado House of Representatives sponsor of the following legislation during the 2007:

·         House Bill 07-1031, which allows municipal fire departments and fire protection districts to establish a Length of Service Award Program as one means of enhancing the incentives for volunteers to continue in service.

·         Senate Bill 07-007, which expands the types of payments that firefighters may receive for their services and still be considered volunteers for purposes of pension eligibility under the Volunteer Firefighter Pension Act.

·         House Bill 07-1153, had it passed, would have allowed a qualified volunteer firefighter to apply for a tax rebate in the amount of $125 per year for two consecutive years.

Across the nation and in Colorado, the number of volunteer firefighters has been declining for more than a decade. While state and local governments have recognized the decreasing numbers of volunteers, they have been hard pressed to identify specific measures to control the decline and recruit new volunteers.

According to CSFCA President Forsman “Representative Witwer clearly recognizes the significant contribution made by the volunteer fire service in the protection of the citizens and visitors to Colorado.”   He added that “during the 2007 session, Representative Witwer led the legislative effort to provide fire districts and municipalities with additional tools they need to recruit, recognize, and retain volunteers.”

In his speech that preceded the award presentation, Rep. Witwer told the assembled fire chiefs that the role fulfilled by volunteer firefighters really “hit home” three years ago when a family member had a medical emergency in his home.  He said “the first person to arrive on scene to render aid was my neighbor, who is a volunteer firefighter with the Genesee Fire District.” 

According to Rep. Witwer, “many of my fellow legislators don’t realize that the bulk of the Colorado fire service is comprised of volunteer firefighters”.  He cited that sixty-two percent of the fire departments in the state are all-volunteer and that volunteers supplement a small cadre of career firefighters in many more departments.

Rep. Witwer says he is trying to educate his colleagues on what he refers to as the “invisible line item in the budget – the service provided the state by volunteer firefighters.”  Using California as an example, Representative Witwer said that “if the state had to take over the service currently provided by volunteer firefighters, it would cost hundreds of millions of dollars.”  He concluded by adding “for this reason alone, we must find ways to take care of this invaluable resource.

Before reading the Resolution adopted by the CSFCA Board of Directors to recognize and commend Representative Witwer, CSFCA Executive Paul Cooke said that the recognition “doesn’t even take in account that his efforts to recognize volunteer firefighters and to address the looming threat of a catastrophic wildland fire have continued into this year”

According to Cooke, “in the current legislative session, Representative Witwer is carrying legislation to provide additional benefits to volunteer firefighters, make training available to fire district board members, and to provide tax credits to property owners in wildland urban interface areas for expenses related to wildfire mitigation.”

Specifically, Rep. Witwer is the House sponsor of the following legislation in the 2008 session:

·         House Bill 08-1110, seeks to establish a state income tax deduction for 50 percent of a landowner's direct costs in performing wildfire mitigation measures on their property, up to a specified maximum.

·         House Bill 08-1324, would have provided an income tax credit to qualified volunteer firefighters in the amount of $125 per year.  This bill was killed by the House Finance Committee.

·         House Bill 08-1334, seeks to grant authority to municipalities and districts to provide group health care coverage to emergency services volunteers.

·         House Bill 08-1360, seeks to clarify that a fire arson investigator authorized by a unit of local government is a peace officer while engaged in the performance of his or her duties.

·         Senate Bill 08-039, sponsored by Senator Mike Kopp (R-Littleton), seeks to make certain training available to board members of fire protection districts whose territory includes wildland-urban interface areas.

In addition, Rep. Witwer co-sponsored Senate 08-116, which seeks to protect the jobs of employees who leave work to respond to specified emergencies as volunteer firefighters.  This bill, sponsored by Senator Ken Kester (R-Las Animas and Representative Marsha Looper (R-Calhan) has passed both houses of the legislature.

Cooke said that “the fire service will be loosing a very good friend when Rep. Witwer leaves the legislature at the end of this term.”

Note:  A copy of the Resolution presented to Rep. Witwer can be viewed here.

Governor’s Office Issues New Flag Policy

March 6, 2008 – Gov. Ritter’s Office today announced a revision to the Governor’s Flag Policy.  This revision was done to clear up any confusion that existed concerning the governor’s policy on lowering of the U.S. and State of Colorado flags for the line-of-duty death of a firefighter or law enforcement officer.  The relevant section of the revised policy reads:

“The Governor may order the Colorado flag lowered when deemed appropriate in response to a specific incident, such as a statewide or national tragedy or when a law enforcement officer or firefighter dies in the line of duty. The Governor also may delegate authority to local officials to lower flags within their jurisdiction. The policy of Governor Bill Ritter, Jr. is to order the United States and Colorado flags lowered on the day of the law enforcement officer or firefighter’s funeral, and for the flags to remain lowered for the duration of the day.”

In distributing the revised policy, Evan Dreyer, Gov. Ritter's Communications Director, apologized for the recent situation and expressed his sympathies to the entire firefighting community on the loss of Captain Shane Stewart.  He added “I hope we never actually have to lower the flags in the future.”

The Governor’s Revised Flag Policy may be downloaded from the CSFCA website here.

In addition to the revised policy, the Governor’s Office has added a link on the Governor’s website so anyone can check on what the current flag status is.  This page can be accessed by going to the Governor’s website at: www.colorado.gov/governor and clicking on the on the “Flag Notifications” icon on the right side.  Note: A direct link has also been added to the CSFCA website.

Department of Homeland Security Announces Application Period for FY 2008 Assistance to Firefighters Grants

March 3, 2008 – The Department of Homeland Security's Grant Programs Directorate will begin accepting applications for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) beginning March 3, 2008, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EST) with the deadline for receipt of the applications no later than April 4, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. EDT. The AFG, which will be distributed in phases throughout FY 2008, will ultimately award approximately $500 million.

Interested applicants can access the FY 2008 AFG application through the AFG Web site (http://www.firegrantsupport.com), the U.S. Fire Administration's (USFA) Web site (http://www.usfa.fema.gov) and the Grants.gov Web site (http://www.grants.gov). The Web site contains important information about the AFG including the FY 2008 funding priorities and program guidance, a Web-based tutorial on the application process, a listing of frequently asked questions and other materials. Fire departments that have questions regarding this grant opportunity should contact the Help Desk at 1-866-274-0960 or email to firegrants@dhs.gov. During the application period, Help Desk hours will be from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT. Additional Help Desk hours may be added if demand is high.

Eligible applicants for the FY 2008 AFG are limited to fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service (EMS) organizations operating within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Interested applicants may submit two separate applications for consideration under each of the following two program areas:

Operations and Safety Program Area: Eligible activities for fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations are limited to training, equipment, personal protective equipment, wellness and fitness, and modifications to facilities.

Vehicle Acquisition Program Area: Eligible apparatus available to fire departments under this program area include, but are not limited to, pumpers, brush trucks, tankers/tenders, rescue vehicles, ambulances, quints, aerials, foam units, and fireboats.

The FY 2008 AFG will also allow eligible applicants to submit an additional application for a regional project through which multiple organizations, serving more than one local jurisdiction, may benefit directly from the activities implemented with the grant funds.

Posted 03-03-08

USFA Releases Fire-Related Firefighter Injuries Report

February 29, 2008 – Twice as many firefighters are injured each year performing fireground duties as there are fire injuries to the civilian population, according to a new report issued today by the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). In 2004, there were an estimated 36,880 firefighter fireground injuries. The new report, Fire-Related Firefighter Injuries in 2004, was developed by the National Fire Data Center, part of the U.S. Fire Administration, and is based primarily on analyses of the 2004 National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) Version 5.0 data.

“Everyday firefighters face great risks of bodily injury and possibly even death,” said National Fire Data Center Director Alex Furr.  “Firefighting, by its very nature, is an extremely dangerous job, and therefore it is important that we take steps to educate the fire service on improving firefighter health and safety and focus on injury prevention.”

The report presents the details of firefighter injuries sustained at or responding to a fire incident.  These injuries may be the result of operations at the fire scene or responding to or returning from an incident.  Additionally, this report examines firefighter injury rates and fire-related injury characteristics.  Eighty-nine percent of firefighter injuries reported to NFIRS in 2004 were associated with structure fires.  Of these injuries, 76 percent occurred on residential properties.  Injuries to the upper and lower extremities accounted for 30 percent of all reported fire-related firefighter injuries.  An additional 20 percent of injuries were to the head, neck, and shoulder areas.  For the nature of the injury, 34 percent were related to sprains, strains, cuts, and wounds.  Burns accounted for an additional 11 percent of the reported injuries.

To download the report, go here.

Firefighters Honor One of Their Own

GREELEY — Volunteer Fire Capt. Shane Stewart was remembered in Greeley on Thursday as a fellow with an impish grin, a mischievous streak and a kind-hearted father of two who went out of his way to help others.                                                              

Posted: 02-29-08

Tax Deduction for Wildland Fire Mitigation Passes Senate Finance Committee

House Bill 08-1110, Concerning an Income Tax Deduction For a Landowner's Direct Costs Incurred in Performing Wildfire Mitigation Measures (Rep. Witwer, Sen. Kopp) was heard by Senate Finance Committee today (February 28, 2008).  HB-1110 would offer a state income tax deduction of 50 percent of a homeowner’s costs in performing up to $2,500 of wildfire mitigation or a tax deduction totaling the property owner’s federal taxable income, whichever is less.  The wildland mitigation measures must be performed on private land in a wildland-urban interface area with a community wildfire protection plan.

In presenting the bill, Senator Kopp quoted Representative Witwer’s characterization of the looming threat of a catastrophic wildfire as “Colorado’s version of Hurricane Katrina.”  Sen. Kopp told the committee the purpose of the bill is to reduce the threat by providing property owners additional incentive to implement mitigation measures.  He added that one person creating defensible space around their home is not enough, that we need to provide incentives for large scale, community wide mitigation efforts.

Chief Chris Riley of the Pueblo Fire Department testified on behalf of the CSFCA on the bill.  Chief Riley focused on the operational aspects of the fire problem in WUI areas, advising the committee that mitigation efforts are not only property conservation measures, but they are firefighter safety issues.  Chief Riley testified that anything the state could do to provide incentives to homeowners to implement mitigation measures on their property would help to address this critical need.

Bill Easterling, Fire Marshal/Administrator of Genesee Fire & Rescue testified on the economic impact of wildfires as well as the affect they have on the front range water supply.  Rocco Snart, FMO for the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office testified on the value of mitigation efforts and the importance of encouraging property owners to become part of the solution to the growing WUI problem.  CCI also testified in support of the bill.

HB-1110 was passed to Senate Appropriations Committee on a vote of 4-1, with 2 members excused.  Voting for the bill were Senators Romer, Brophy, Harvey, and Kopp.  Voting against was Senator Veiga.  Senators Isgar and Sandoval were excused.

Posted 02-28-08

Captain Shane Stewart Funeral Services

The funeral arrangements for Ault-Pierce Fire Protection District Captain Shane Stewart who died in the line of duty on Saturday morning have been finalized. The service will be held on Thursday, February 28, 2008 at 10AM in the Union Colony Civic Center at 7th Street and 10th Avenue in downtown Greeley.   Map

Captain Stewart will be given full fire service honors in recognition of his service and sacrifice. Please join us in providing a support to this family which includes both Shane’s father and brother who are also members of the Ault-Pierce FPD, and to this Fire Department.

The funeral will take place in a large auditorium and will be followed by a procession to the Cemetery in Eaton, Colorado for internment services.

Following the services at the cemetery, there will be a reception and meal for all at the Ault Fire Station on Colorado Highway 14 one mile east of US Highway 85. The weather forecast for Thursday is for pleasant temperatures (high 40’s/low 50’s).

Uniforms are encouraged for all fire, law enforcement and EMS attendees. Parking for fire apparatus and CDOT vehicles will be in designated streets adjacent to the Civic Center. Parking will be available at 8:30AM and uniformed personnel will be able to direct you to an appropriate location. Also, if you need to change into a uniform, a location will be provided for that.

Reply Requested

In order to provide some estimate of the number of attendees and fire apparatus, please take a few minutes to let us know what vehicle(s) you are bringing and an estimate of how many personnel will be attending. Please do so by sending a note to funeral@greeleygov.com and include any questions that you may have. We will respond to your questions as soon as possible.

You may also contact Ms. Susan Frame at 970-350-9500 during normal business hours. However, for obvious reasons, we would prefer to have your information by E Mail. On behalf of the family, the Ault-Pierce Fire Protection District and Weld County Fire Chiefs’ Association, your support is very much appreciated.
 

Memorial Fund Contact and Address:  Farmers Bank, 119 1^st Street, Ault, CO 80610 970 834-2121

Posted 02-25-08

Ault-Pierce Firefighter Killed Responding to Emergency Medical Call

February 23, 2008 – Today Ault-Pierce Fire Protection District suffered a great loss of one of their own.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and members of the Ault-Pierce Fire Department.

The following information is provided by the Ault-Pierce Fire Protection District:

This morning at 6:15am, Ault-Pierce Fire Department responded to an emergency medical call in the town of Ault.  Engine 3, which is stationed at the Pierce Station, responded to this emergency.  

While enroute to the town of Ault, Engine 3 was involved in an accident in which the apparatus rolled.  The driver of the engine was Captain Shane Stewart. He was the only individual in that engine.  

Members from the Eaton Fire Protection District responded to the roll over of the apparatus at Weld County Road 33 and 88 at 6:36am with members of the Ault-Pierce Fire Department.
 

Captain Stewart has been a volunteer member of the Ault-Pierce Fire Department since August of 2004.  He was currently employed with Colorado Department of Transportation.  Captain Stewart was 33 years old, has a wife and 2 young children.

Captain Stewart was very aggressive in seeking training opportunities and further advancement in the fire service.  

Ault-Pierce Fire Department consists of 21 members, including Captain Stewart’s brother and father.  The Stewart family has been very dedicated to the fire service and he will be greatly missed.

More information will be forthcoming as it is available.

Local Contact:

Eaton Fire Protection District

Captain Roger Moore

970-381-6762 cell

Station 970-454-2115

Health Department Requests Comment on Proposed Rule Changes for Assisted Living Facilities

Recently the Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) distributed proposed amendments to the rules for Chapter VII, Assisted Living Residences, for review and comment.

These rules formalize many of the interpretive guidelines and are intended to standardize first aid training, encourage better communication between facilities and their emergency first responders, and provide more immediate and appropriate care for residents in emergency and non-emergency situations.

The proposed amendments to the rules for Chapter VII, Assisted Living Residences may be downloaded here.

The proposed new language is in BOLD CAPITAL letters and includes the following changes:

1.      Adds language under personnel qualifications that there be one staff member certified in first aid on site at all times.

2.      Adds language that the facility establish a procedure addressing when and how to provide staff lift assistance of residents who have fallen, and have that policy available for the local emergency medical responder.

3.      Adds language that the facility inform each resident at the time of admission and at least annually thereafter of the resident’s right to either receive or refuse CPR.

4.      Requires documentation and disclosure to residents of the above policies and procedures.

5.      Makes technical corrections to Life Safety Code references to reflect current practice.

The Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division requests that comments be submitted by facsimile or mail using the form attached to the proposed rules as the cover page along with additional pages, as needed.  If faxing, send to 303-753-6214.  If mailing, send to HFEMSD-A2, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO  80246-1530, Attention Laurie Schoder. Please ensure that you comments reach the Division by Friday, March 7, 2008.

The proposed rules will be presented to the Board of Health on April 16, 2008.  All Board of Health meetings are open to the public.  Individuals can participate in the rule-making process by providing written comments to the Board prior to the rule-making hearing or by presenting oral comments at the rule-making hearing. 

If you have questions about the proposed rules, please call Laurie Schoder at 303-692-2800.

Posted 02-22-08 

Governor’s Report Finds Switch to Tort Auto Insurance System Injured Providers and Consumers

Cuts in Payments to Providers and Increased Consumer Health Insurance Premiums Quantified In Report

DENVER—A report released today by Governor Ritter’s Office of Policy and Initiatives verifies what trauma care providers have been saying for four years: the sudden switch from a no-fault auto insurance system to a tort system left Colorado’s trauma care providers with millions of dollars in unpaid costs after providing medical transports and treatments.  These costs are shifted onto health insurers and consumers through higher charges for other services and increased co-pays or deductibles.

The Governor’s office contracted with BBC Research and Consulting, an independent research firm, to study the effects of Colorado’s change from a no-fault auto insurance system to a tort system in July 2003.  The scope of work for the study was developed through a collaborative process with the Trauma Care Preservation Coalition (TCPC) and representatives of the auto insurance industry.

BBC’s key findings are as follows:

Ø       Hospitals are losing tens of millions of dollars every year for treating motor vehicle accident patients.  In 2002, hospitals were reimbursed for 60 percent of the care they provided to motor vehicle accident patients.  But by 2006, after the switch to tort, that percentage had plummeted to only 36 percent: “Non-reimbursed charges related to inpatient care for auto injuries totaled about $90 million in 2002 and about $175 million in 2006” (page 12).  While hospitals did see a drop in the reimbursement rate for other types of care, the change for motor vehicle accidents was notably more extreme (an 8 percent drop for all care compared to a 24 percent drop for motor vehicle accident patients).

Ø       Ambulance companies and fire departments have suffered similar declines in reimbursement. For Colorado’s first responders, 18 percent of patient transports from motor vehicle accidents went uncompensated in 2002.  By 2006, that number had more than doubled, rising to 37 percent (page 12).

Ø       Many factors have led to reductions in auto insurance premiums in the last few years, with the switch from no-fault to tort only one factor. The report cites a 35% decrease in auto insurance rates, based on auto insurance reports to the state. But the report also indicates that auto insurance rates after the switch decreased as a result of many factors, including a significant drop in auto insurance coverage since no-fault and  a statewide decrease in the number of accidents that result in injuries or fatalities.  Additionally, the report shows actual expenditures by consumers for their auto insurance policies does not reflect the same decreases.
 

Ø       Health insurance premium increases have negated any auto insurance savings for consumers.  Savings that consumers may have experienced in their auto insurance policies have been negated by the increases seen in health insurance premiums as a result of the switch to a tort system.  BBC’s report finds that health insurers in Colorado predicted a 1.6% premium hike in 2003 that was attributable to the change from no-fault to tort (page 9).  This could amount to hundreds of dollars in additional health insurance costs for the average Colorado family.

Ø       Insurance coverage for medical payments would benefit consumers.  If the General Assembly were to mandate that all Coloradans carry medical payments coverage (“med pay”) on their auto insurance policies, it would help consumers cover out-of-pocket medical expenses such as co-pays and deductibles (page 16).  Contrary to the arguments of the auto insurers, very few Coloradans have the extremely high level of health care coverage that would make a mandatory med pay truly duplicative of health insurance.

By substantiating a small portion of the economic losses that Colorado’s trauma system has incurred since the switch from no-fault auto insurance to a tort system, the report demonstrates the unintended consequences. 

It is important to note the report significantly underestimates the financial impacts on Colorado’s trauma system. It does not quantify the impacts of unreimbursed care on physicians who treat auto accident patients; nor does the report address the majority of auto accident patients who are treated in the emergency departments and discharged the same day.  Researchers were only able to report data that relates to the small percent of patients admitted to hospitals.

Additionally, the report makes the case for all drivers to carry medical payments coverage on their auto policies.  (The Trauma Care Preservation Coalition is advocating this private sector solution for a small, reasonable med-pay; state funding solutions are not feasible under current budget and taxing constraints.) This solution would ensure that their health care would be fully covered if they were at fault in a car accident.  Currently, bodily injury coverage is required in Colorado, but it only covers the people who are injured by the at-fault driver. Without med pay, the at-fault driver has no bodily injury coverage for him/herself or any relatives in that car. 

“Many people don’t realize that their auto insurance no longer covers medical expenses unless they specifically elect (and pay for) an optional med-pay coverage,” said Dave Bressler, Director of Weld County Paramedic services. “We feel a deep responsibility and sense of service to help save the lives of every accident victim in our county. Like other EMS agencies across the state, we’re caught between a rock and a hard place – we’re doing everything in our means to save lives, but our resources are being bled away.  More and more Coloradans don’t have health insurance, and their medical bills aren’t covered by their auto insurance anymore.  As a result, in more and more cases we’re not paid for our services, and we’re left with no means to recoup those costs.  Our patients face bills they cannot pay.”

Steven Summer, President and CEO of the Colorado Hospital Association, commended BBC for their efforts and stated, “After years of educating policymakers about this issue and advocating for a mandatory med pay solution, we are thrilled that an objective third party has validated what the healthcare community has been saying all along.  Colorado patients expect and deserve to be covered in the event of an accident, and this study proves that they are not.”

For a copy of the full report go here.

For more information please contact Sarah Blum-Barnett at 303-892-9100 x 17 or sarah@publicpersuasion.com.

The Trauma Care Preservation Coalition (TCPC) is a statewide group composed of ambulance companies and other emergency medical service (EMS) providers, hospitals, fire chiefs, physicians and consumer advocates committed to finding viable solutions to Colorado’s trauma funding crisis.  The Colorado State Fire Chiefs' Association is a member of the TCPC.    

Posted 02-19-08

Bill to Provide Health Insurance Coverage for Volunteer Emergency Service Providers Introduced

On February 12, 2008, a bill was introduced by State Representative Rob Witwer (R-Jefferson County) that would provide health insurance coverage for volunteer emergency services providers.

House Bill 08-1334, Concerning Health Insurance for Bona Fide Volunteer Emergency Service Providers, which is sponsored in the Senate by Senator Mike Kopp (R-Jefferson County), would:

·        Grant the authority for municipalities and districts to provide group health care coverage to emergency services volunteers and the authority for a municipality or district to participate in a health insurance pool for qualified emergency services volunteers.

·        Allow the governing body of each emergency service provider the discretion to negotiate the details related to the procurement and administration of the insurance contracts.

·        Specify that bona fide volunteers and emergency service providers fall within the purview of existing group sickness and accident insurance law.

If enacted, this bill would provide yet another tool for municipalities and fire districts to assist in their efforts to recruit and retain emergency services volunteers.

HB08-1334, is scheduled to be heard by House Local Government Committee on Thursday, February 21, 2008 - Upon Recess (about 9:30 am) in Room 0111.

Posted 02-18-08

Bill to Provide Volunteer Firefighter Tax Credit Fails

Public School Plan Reviews Approval Form

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for the great participation and support of the new public school fire safety certification program.  As of the end of the year, we had certified more than 300 inspectors from 70 fire departments.    

That brings us to our next challenge with the new program.  Whether the review is performed by the Division of Fire Safety, or the local fire department, we are required by the statute to submit our plan review reports to the Department of Labor – Division of Oil and Public Safety within 10-days of receipt of the complete submittal.  The statute does allow us to submit an extension request to the Division of Oil and Public Safety for the large projects.  This will hopefully be extended to a 20-day limit by an amendment currently in review, but in the mean time we must meet the 10-day requirement. 

The Division of Oil and Public Safety has been receiving review reports and approvals from the local fire departments, but many of them have been missing necessary information so they have not been able to accept them.  By the program rules, all plan review and inspection reports performed by a certified inspector must contain the inspector’s name, certification number and their signature.  The reports should also contain a copy of any comments that were made on the review or inspection. 

In an effort to help make the process more efficient, and to ensure that fire protection review reports are acceptable to the Division of Oil and Public Safety, we worked with them to create a fire code plan review form for public school projects.  This form contains all of the information required by the rules, and when completed, will ensure that the plan approval will be acceptable.  This form will be required for all public school projects, even for those that will not require a further fire protection review.    

We understand that this form may present an extra step for some, but we hope that it will help to overcome some of the hurdles and confusion that we are currently experiencing and end up taking less time in the long run.  This form may be included in construction document submittals from the designers, but we wanted to send you the form directly as well.    

An electronic version of the form is found here.  The form is in .pdf format and may be completed electronically, or it can be printed and filled in by hand.  Lastly, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. 

Mark S. Wassom
Colorado Division of Fire Safety
9195 East Mineral Avenue, Suite 234
Centennial, CO 80112
Phone: 720-852-6742

Email: Mark.Wassom@cdps.state.co.us

Posted 02-11-08

Contributing Factors to Firefighter Line of Duty Death in the U.S.

February 11, 2008 - The United States Fire Administration (USFA) worked with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) in a project to enhance risk management capability of local fire departments. The goal of this initiative was to enable fire departments to design effective risk management programs based on community hazards and service commitment, enhance firefighter safety, and provide tools for continual evaluation of emergency response systems.

The ability of fire departments to design an acceptable level of resource deployment based on risks and service commitment and to provide tools for continual evaluation of emergency response systems is crucial in the enhancement of firefighter operational safety and occupational health. The adequate placement of firefighting resources also supports the reduction in civilian fire fatalities.

This study examined critical issues related to adequate resource deployment tying them to the development of effective risk management programs. Geographic information systems (GIS) computer simulation was used to develop staffing and deployment models that will be recommended for department of various sizes serving different populations in varying geographic regions.
 

The first phase of the analyzed retrospective data from the years 2000-2005 to identify and quantify the major factors that contribute to fire fighter line-of-duty death (LODD) in the United States. The identified contributing factors were examined for frequency of occurrence and clustering with other factors. The results are to be used to develop risk management programs for fire departments.
 

This first phase used data compiled from six years of verified firefighter on-duty fatalities from four reputable industry sources. Sources included the USFA as well as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the IAFF. For each LODD, factors contributing to the death were recorded from Federal investigations and eyewitness reports. The contributing factors were then analyzed for frequency of occurrence and clustering with other factors. Contributing factor clusters identified include the following.
 

Cluster #1 includes incident command, training, communications, standard operating procedures, and pre-incident planning.
Cluster #2 includes vehicles, personal protective equipment, equipment failure, and human error.
Cluster #3 includes private owned vehicle, accidents, and civilian error.
Cluster #4 includes company staffing/crew size, standard operating guidelines and health/fitness/wellness.
 

Clustering information is being used to develop risk management recommendations for local fire departments. From the first phase of this study, the report, Contributing Factors to Firefighter Line of Duty Death in the United States was developed by the IAFF.

This second phase of the study will also address effective risk management programs for the fire service as the same methodology will be used to assess firefighter on-duty injury. Data sources for phase II are being sought.

In Memoriam - Division Chief Marc R. Mullenix

MARC R. MULLENIX, husband, father and dear friend, died January 28, 2008, in Mancos, Colorado. He was 50 years old. 

Posted: 02-06-08

Bill to Exempt Emergency Services Districts from TIF Arrangements Fails

February 6, 2008 - House Bill 08-1163 TIF Exception for Emergency Services Districts (Rep. Sonnenberg, Sen. Bacon) was heard by House Finance Committee yesterday (February 5, 2008).  As introduced, the bill would have granted a blanket exemption for emergency services districts from the loss of revenues resulting from the loss of revenues resulting from the property tax freezing provisions of a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) arrangement of an Urban Renewal Authority (URA).  An amendment advocated by SDA and supported by CSFCA would have allowed an emergency services district, at their discretion, to opt to participate into the TIF arrangement, to the extent they chose.  The amendment was offered by Rep. Sonnenberg and adopted without objection.

In testifying against the bill, the Colorado Municipal League (CML) indicated that, in 2008, there were only nine URA’s that affected fire districts and the actual impact on these districts was minimal.  CML testified that the average percentage of property tax diverted from fire districts to URA’s in 2006 was only 2% of the district’s total property tax revenues.  CML also testified that in three cases (North Metro, West Metro, and Wheat Ridge) the URA and the District negotiated an agreement for a refunding of all or part of the property taxes back to the affected district.  Thus, CML argued that the impact on fire districts was minimal and thus, the legislation was not needed.

Chief Brian Martens of Windsor-Severance Fire Protection District presented compelling testimony regarding the impact of URA’s on emergency services, as well as examples of the abuse of the Urban Renewal statutes, by “blighting” properties that have relatively new commercial buildings on them, as well as using Urban Renewal for large pieces of vacant ground that is already planned for development.  Chief Martens spoke of the specific impact the Windor Urban Renewal Authority would have had on his district (about 10% of his total property tax revenue), had the URA not been overturned by a citizen initiative.

Evan Goulding of SDA spoke on the impact on districts when an URA imposes a TIF within the urban renewal area.  He testified that property tax revenue are frozen at the level existing at the time the TIF becomes effective and districts will only receive the revenue from property taxes at the level that exists at the time the project becomes effective, for as much as 30 years thereafter.  This despite the fact that as the project progresses, assessed values increase tremendously, and frequently the demand for service also expands accordingly.  Evan also testified that school districts are protected from this freeze because they are made whole by the School Finance Act, but for fire and other emergency services districts, their primary source of revenue is property tax and revenues cannot keep pace with the increased costs of service.

Because the testimony was comprehensive and due to the length of the hearing, my testimony was limited to our expression of support for the bill and a request for favorable consideration.  Only one question was asked of me, that being whether our “urban” members supported it, or just our rural members.  I advised the Committee of the makeup of the Board of Directors that sets policy for the Association (that it represents district as well as municipal chiefs, urban and rural), and indicated the Board’s decision to support the bill and the amendment to allow districts to opt into the TIF arrangement.