Alpine Fire Chief details new equipment, training and calls; burn ban remains in effect

Chief James Etcheson told the City Council Feb. 17 that the Alpine Volunteer Fire Department has acquired new protective equipment and received several grants aimed at firefighter safety and communications.

Etcheson showed the council new Nomex hoods, MSA NFPA‑approved helmets (red for Tech 1 graduates, black for Tech 2), and 13 new self‑contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) packs that include integrated PASS alarms and location “pack trackers.” He said the trackers can reduce search time inside dark structures by “at least 5 minutes” when an alarm indicates an incapacitated firefighter.

“We had some new SCBA packs…there’s also something called the pack tracker. If in case an individual goes down, the alarm goes off, we have a remote that’ll ping us to where that individual’s at,” Etcheson said.

Etcheson said the department received a grant through the Rio Grande Council of Governments to purchase 18 new radios and that a separate grant will fund a washer to decontaminate turnout gear and remove carcinogens. He also said six people recently completed Tech 2 training and that six more are expected to complete Firefighter 1 certification by mid‑March, which will bring the number of certified firefighters to about 10.

The chief reported operational details and call counts covering late 2024 and early 2025: structure fires, wildland fires, vehicle fires, other fires (dumpsters, barbecue pits), false alarms, EMS or lift assists, controlled burns, search and rescue, extrications and hazmat spills. He listed those counts during the presentation and said the department had installed approximately 200 smoke detectors across the community.

Council members asked about hazmat response capacity. Etcheson said most hazmat incidents have been small gasoline spills and that the department treats larger incidents (about 20 gallons or more) by requesting specialist response. He described use of an encapsulating agent, F-500 foam, on spills and a past mutual‑aid response to a train fire in Marathon that was extinguished quickly after his crew applied that foam.

Council members also asked about fire planes mentioned by staff; Etcheson said aircraft and a tanker were staged locally for a period and that he expected periodic deployments during the high‑risk season.

Etcheson reiterated the burn ban remains in effect, citing persistent dry fuels and a recent incident where a trailer with damaged rims ignited tire debris along Highway 118. The chief said safety of personnel is his “utmost importance” and that the department is focused on training and equipment to reduce risk to firefighters.

No formal council action was taken on the chief’s report; council members thanked Etcheson for the presentation and asked staff to keep council informed about equipment grants and the department’s certification timeline.