The Nederland Fire Protection District (NFPD) Board of Directors met on Wednesday, June 18, 2024, at 7 p.m. Highlighted were the notable number of calls of significance that occurred since last month, including harrowing backcountry rescues over Father’s Day weekend. Chief Charlie Schmidtmann’s report for late May through early June detailed these calls.

A backcountry skier fell approximately 2,000 feet from Skywalker Couloir. Nederland firefighters and medical personnel transported the man to the hospital after he had been hoisted and flown by helicopter from the scene of the accident to Nederland Middle-Senior High School.

Schmidtmann reported that at roughly the same time as the incident with the backcountry skier, a mountain biker suffered a broken arm from a crash at West Magnolia. Captain Nick Faes and Iain Irwin Powell treated and stabilized the patient at the scene and walked them off the trail to the ambulance.

Immediately following that incident, the fire station at 650 West 4th Street received a walk-in suffering chest pains. Schmidtmann added that Captain Conor Moran, who was celebrating Father’s Day, responded to the call “with kids in tow.”

Captain Faes treated an anaphylaxis patient at Mud Lake, who was transported to the hospital by American Medical Response. Captain Moran treated a patient suffering a stroke. The patient’s family was traveling on Highway 72 when the condition worsened; Moran met the family in Nederland and continued treating the patient en route to Boulder.

The NFPD responded to a structure fire on Hummer Drive caused by an electrical panel catching fire. The residents had nearly completely doused the fire using an extinguisher, though firefighters still had to remove the meter to clear any fire behind it.

Firefighters also had to remove some of the trim from the house in order to access the attic, but the home did not suffer any damage from the incident. While on scene, fuses on the utility pole dropped, causing another ignition for firefighters to extinguish.

Captain Glen Wheelock stayed on scene until Xcel Energy arrived; workers from Xcel ascertained that the ground settling ripped the lines from the meter.

Firefighters Scott Papich and Eric Abramson rescued a backcountry adventurer at Rainbow Lakes who had crashed their bike and was impaled by a tree. Firefighters Mandi Papich and Max Schmidtmann hiked into Jasper Lake at 6:30 a.m. to assist an individual suffering hypothermia at Jasper Lake; the entire rescue took 10 hours.

NFPD personnel also handled the aftermath of a fight among four people, three of whom went to the fire station for medical attention. Nederland firefighters and paramedics also hoisted a reportedly intoxicated patient out of Boulder Canyon after they had fallen from an elevated deck.

On a calmer note, the Board discussed the most recent draft of the bylaws for the reinstated Pension Board. During their previous meeting on May 15, the NFPD voted to approve the District’s lawyer assessing the draft bylaws and making any necessary revisions.

Board members suggested clarifying the language within the bylaws pertaining to the training required to receive pension benefits. The term “standard training” was defined as an organized group training that can be conducted within the district.

It was decided that the term “standard training” would be clearly defined within the NFPD’s existing Standard Operating Procedures, and that the Pension Board’s Bylaws would refer to those procedures.

Personnel data from 2013 to 2019 is still being collected in order to ascertain, through review of training hours, which firefighters are eligible for pension benefits.

Chief Schmidtmann led the NFPD in a discussion regarding two bids received for the repaving of the Nederland Fire Department’s 6,700 square foot parking lot. The quotes for the job, which involves the removal of existing pavement, laying of new asphalt, and grading of the area, are for $35,000 and $45,900.

Schmidtmann noted that the NFPD will also be requesting bids and scope of work from contractors for replacing existing sidewalks that will be impacted by the paving of the department’s parking lot.

The Chief’s Report also detailed the repairs and improvements being made to the NFPD’s fire station, equipment, and vehicles.

An uninsured driver’s parked car did not have its parking brake activated and rolled down the street, hit a light bollard and then hit the fire station. The NFPD received a bid from Hadford Home Construction for repairs to the front door and entryway for $8,220.

Schmidtmann and Captain Faes finished the installation of the SCBA compressor, with electricians hired to complete the final hookup. Unfortunately, the compressor was found not to be operational, so routine maintenance will need to be performed by a repair person to locate the issue.

The fire station received many repairs and updates, including the reinstallation of a wall, the construction of a new workbench, the installation of heavy-duty cabinets worth $30,000, the installation of several new shelves, and the repair of one of the station’s bay doors.

The NFPD’s vehicles also received several repairs, including primer pump issues, while other vehicles were reported to be suffering issues with their front struts and suspension. Schmidtmann also reported that two of the District’s vehicles are having backup cameras installed.

Schmidtmann acknowledged the several NFPD volunteers who attended the Town Clean Up Day on June 1, including Firefighters Larissa Briscombe and Abramson, as well as Captain Moran, who tended an information booth at the sort yard.

It was reported that the District has begun a promotion process for the rank of lieutenant, and that one of three candidates have already been interviewed.

The Chief’s Report also listed the specialty training that NFPD personnel had attended or completed from late May to early June, including a water rescue refresher course with the District’s captains, and a swift water rescue course for the entire department. Personnel also completed a Vent-Enter-Isolate-Search training and endocrine emergency training.

The NFPD were also awarded a grant through the State of Colorado for $2,500 to fund extrication training, called Chop Shop, which will support up to 25 of Nederland’s firefighters. The District will be responsible for acquiring and disposing of the vehicles used for the training.

Fire Marshal Andrew Joslin delivered his report, which Schmidtmann read to the Board. Joslin’s report indicated that multiple businesses had been inspected, with all major issues resolved quickly. Joslin also reported that the District has been “inundated” with permit applications and building plans to be reviewed.

Joslin’s report detailed the special projects and events that the District is involved in, including the installation of a bidirectional amplifier at the Nederland Middle-Senior High School to help bolster police and fire radio communications within the building, and the creation of an online payment portal to enable the District to receive fee payments.

Joslin and the NFPD are compiling data regarding cisterns on Nederland residents’ properties. The District has been diligently documenting the cisterns installed on private property for the last three years, but are calling on the community to assist in documenting all existing cisterns, specifically those for emergency water supply, and especially any installed prior to 2020.

All known cisterns are currently being tested as part of their mandated yearly inspection. Residents can visit www.nfpd.org/cisterns or the NFPD’s social media to view an informative video starring Acting Chief Blue Dog, and to fill out a form, developed by Joslin and District Administrator Sherry Snyder, to help firefighters locate all available cisterns that they can use in the event of an emergency.

The Nederland Fire Protection District Board of Directors meets on the third Wednesday of every month. Meetings can be attended online via Microsoft Teams. Their next meeting will be on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at 7 p.m. For more information go to: https://www.nfpd.org.