Two new fire stations proposed for Poudre Canyon

By Bette Blinde
President, Poudre Canyon Fire Protection District

The Poudre Canyon Fire Protection District will ask voters to approve a mill levy increase this November so the district can build two new community center/firehouse complexes. One building would be constructed in the upper canyon at Rustic, near the current community center. The second would be in the lower canyon at Poudre Park, at the site of the existing firehouse and community center.

The current upper canyon Station 2 is a cave in the wall next to Highway 14. It is very difficult to get equipment in and out and slows response time. It also does not have suitable parking for responding volunteers, who now have to park along Highway 14. The volunteers have also experienced several close calls with vehicles traveling on Highway 14 as they back equipment into Station 2.

At the Poudre Park station, the district is considering cutting a hole in the back and boxing it in to fit the hose reel on their truck so they can mount new extrication equipment on the front of the vehicle.

If new facilities are built, canyon residents will have improved fire stations with community centers and will likely also enjoy lower fire insurance premiums.

The next informational meeting about the proposed project and mill levy increase will be held in the lower canyon at the community center on Sept. 3, 7 p.m. The PCFPD and the Upper and Lower Canyon Community Associations will host the meeting.

By teaming up with the two canyon associations and the Old Poudre City Corporation, the fire district has already solved one of the major challenges involved with building the new stations - acquiring the land to put them on.

Total cost of the project is estimated at $2.18 million. The district has applied for a Department of Local Affairs grant and is also exploring other financing options. However, all the grants require a match from the fire district.

The November ballot issue will ask property owners to add 15.65 mills to the current PCFPD 5.5 mill levy, a hike that would raise revenues to approximately $160,000 per year. The increase would cost property owners $125 per year per $100,000 in assessed value. The proposed mill levy would provide for costs of the project not covered by grants, plus ongoing operational needs such as supplies, training, fuel and insurance.

Currently, PCFPD's mill levy of 5.5 produces just $42,000 in tax revenue each year to maintain four fire stations, two ambulances and eight fire-fighting vehicles, besides providing training for 50 firefighters and EMS volunteers. The limited funding has posed challenges for the district.

The current stations are too small for today's needs and for future needs of the district. Station 2 in the upper canyon is not insurable because of the heavy snow damage it received a couple of years ago. The district would like to get a new ambulance for Station 2, but modern ambulances won't fit in the current building. A 2,000-gallon fire engine is over 10 feet tall, but the largest door on Station 1 is 9 feet, 6 inches high.

The fire district is now at the point that it can no longer upgrade fire trucks and ambulances because firehouses at upper- and lower-canyon sites are too small to house them.

New firehouses would decrease response time to fire and EMS emergencies and allow the district to purchase better equipment, critical for property protection and the safety of both residents and volunteer responders.

The district is working hard to reduce homeowners' insurance premiums. The district's current Insurance Service Office rating is 10, the highest possible. The higher the rating, the more customers pay for insurance. With the equipment and training now used by PCFPD, the district will likely be able to reduce the rating to 9 in the near future. The ISO representative said on average there's a 15 to 20 percent savings on homeowners' insurance when the rating goes from a 10 to a 9.

If the new facilities are built and another tender is added, it's possible that the rating could go down even further, to an 8-B, resulting in additional savings for property owners. This rating level is new, developed by the ISO for rural fire departments. To help achieve the 8-B rating, the district has applied to FEMA to acquire another tender.

Bill Sears, vice president for the district, said he expects a net gain for property owners when balancing the increased tax against insurance savings. Actual savings depend upon insurance carriers and whether they use the ISO system for determining premiums. Some residents have said that even a one-point rating change will save them $350 per year on insurance.

Anyone wishing more information about the ballot proposal may contact Bette Blinde, PCFPD president, at 881-2902.