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Arapahoe County backs multiyear fire operating plan, staff to place it on consent agenda
Summary
County staff presented a shift from an annual to a five‑year Fire Operating Plan to formalize interagency dispatch and mutual‑aid procedures and preserve aviation coverage for initial suppression; commissioners signaled approval to place the plan on the consent agenda and authorize signatures for state submission.
Arapahoe County commissioners heard a briefing on a proposed multiyear Fire Operating Plan and agreed to place the item on the consent agenda, staff said.
County emergency management staff described the 2025 plan as a change from a one‑year renewal cycle to a county‑level five‑year agreement with the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control and federal suppression partners. Staff said the plan clarifies how local departments interface with state and federal resources, how requests for aircraft are processed, and the county’s role when mutual‑aid systems (including CMAS, the Colorado mutual aid system) are activated.
Why it matters: the multiyear format reduces annual administrative renewals while preserving the county’s eligibility for certain suppression supports. Staff explained the arrangement generally covers the cost of contracted aircraft and helicopters for the first 24 hours of a qualifying incident, and that the plan will be submitted to the state DFPC for signature; a fully executed county‑state agreement will be valid for up to five years.
Commissioners asked how recent interagency dispatch realignments affect county operations. Staff responded that a redraw of dispatch center borders moved Arapahoe County’s coverage area into a different regional center (NCC), required updates to aviation request protocols, and prompted editorial changes to the plan. Staff also described a new county fuels‑moisture monitoring program with three monitoring sites (Littleton area, Cherry Creek State Park, Eastern Service Center) to provide more granular local data on fire danger.
Board action: after questions, the board indicated a five‑member informal approval by thumbs up to place the Fire Operating Plan on the consent agenda and to authorize county signatures needed to submit the plan for state execution.
Next steps: staff will route the plan to the chair and sheriff for signature as requested, submit it to DFPC for state signoff, and return a fully executed copy to the county record. If approved on consent, the plan would remain valid and be reviewed annually for any significant changes during the five‑year term.
