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Fire chief says calls and training rose in past year; grants and equipment needs highlighted
Summary
The county fire organization reported 284 emergency incidents (up 25), extensive training hours and several grants; the presentation identified equipment maintenance, an expanded wildland urban interface program and grant awards including a $127,000 Colorado River Sustainability award for a coordinator position.
The county’s fire organization presented its annual report to the commission, summarizing response activity, training, equipment inspections and grant activity.
The presenter, the fire chief, said there were 284 emergency incidents last year, an increase of 25 incidents from the prior year; volunteer firefighters logged 295 hours on scene and the department provided 159 training classes totaling roughly 3,100 instructional hours. The chief said 49 smoke detectors were installed for community members as part of a fire-prevention push and that 63 firefighters completed annual physicals or DOT physicals required for SCBA use.
On wildland response, staff reported suppression activity on about 216 acres of private-property wildland fire and more than 22,000 acres of federal/public-property wildland incidents where the county provided mutual aid. The department also noted grant activity: a Volunteer Fire Assistance application sought $8,300 and was awarded $7,400; a marathon community investment request for $33,000 yielded $5,000; ExxonMobil awarded $3,000 toward bunker gear; and the Colorado River Sustainability campaign awarded $127,000 to fund a wildland urban interface coordinator (current performance period through 10/31/2026). The chief said the coordinator has completed multiple wildfire risk assessments and public outreach events in the county.
The chief also reviewed routine apparatus inspections (DOT inspections completed, one apparatus briefly taken out of service for repair) and scheduled factory and nondestructive inspections for aerial ladder equipment required by safety rules.
