NEDERLAND - The Nederland Fire Protection District (NFPD) Board of Directors learned on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, about some of the emergency calls of significance that have occurred since their last meeting. These calls include major accidents in Boulder Canyon, medical emergencies at Eldora, and several wildland fires.

Emergency crews responded to a rollover accident at the base of the dam, a rollover accident in the Big Springs neighborhood, an excavator striking a gas line (also in Big Springs), and a forklift rupturing a hydraulic line and coating a resident’s property with hydraulic fluid.

This spillage caused firefighters to coordinate with Boulder County’s hazmat team to head the cleanup efforts, and then report the incident to the Boulder County Board of Health.  

NFPD personnel also responded to a patient at Eldora suffering a seizure caused by a head injury, a mutual aid call in Gilpin County to assist an elderly patient having a stroke, and a deceased individual found in a running car in Boulder Canyon.  

Firefighters assisted Boulder County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), per their request, to sedate a violent individual so they could be taken into custody. District Firefighters also went beyond protocol to assist a resident whose cat was up a tree. 

Fire Chief Charlie Schmidtmann detailed several fire-related incidents that had occurred since mid-October, including fire spreading at an illegal campsite in West Magnolia near piles of dead and dry kindling.

Firefighters also delivered 3,000 gallons of water to the Coal Creek Fire Department to put out a large building fire; responded to an arson fire in Chipeta Park, with citizens taking action on the scene to put out the fire and chase the arsonists; and responded to a wildland fire off the Peak to Peak Highway that raised issues with BCSO’s reporting and dispatch systems. 

Schmidtmann reported that there were “several delays” in dispatching personnel to the fire because it had been classified by report as a pile burn fire, despite there being an active fire ban. The reporting party, who had an open burn permit, reported the pile burn on BCSO’s automated system, which did not warn the reporting party of current fire bans or wind conditions. 

A neighbor of the affected property, Emmit Hoyl, began putting the fire out with a family-owned brush truck before firefighter crews could get to the scene.  

Regarding Emergency Medical Services (EMS), the NFPD recently hired a new PRN Paramedic, Mike Techentin, and is also currently hiring for an EMS Coordinator.

An EMS Toxicology training was hosted by Captain Nick Faes, new suction units and Automated External Defibrillators were received and put into service, the Advanced Life Support kits were reorganized to include the new video laryngoscopes, and an Electrocardiograph (EKG) from Denver Health’s Paramedic Program has been procured by Captain Conor Moran for an eight-hour class for the District. 

Additionally, 21 members of the District attended a Live Fire training and the District hosted training on their new radios.  

A film crew from Holland visited Nederland and, for a segment for a popular morning talk show, filmed around the town with participation from the NFPD and from the District’s Public Information Officer, Eric Abramson. 

To view the special segment, go here: https://youtu.be/FlQWhqP-F6I?si=6Pur2kTmaqzlcvux 

The District hosted its annual Pinning Ceremony, promoting Grace Gude, Ryder Jones, Daniel Murphy, Dennis Olsen, Matt Ono, and Erik Summerside from Recruit to Probationary Firefighter; and promoting Max Schmidtmann to Firefighter. A very special congratulations goes to the hardworking volunteer members of the NFPD.

Fire Marshal Andrew Joslin’s monthly report acknowledged Liam Elliker, the Facilities Manager for Eldora Mountain Resort, and Elly Orszulak, Director of Base Area Operations, for their work in operating the ski area so safely that their inspection yielded a record low number of issues, all of which were labeled by Joslin as minor and addressed. 

Joslin also reported having toured the Wild Bear Nature Center’s construction site for their new complex. He also assisted Chief Schmidtmann in assessing the Town’s proposed emergency egress routes for the Big Springs neighborhood by providing feedback on the entrances, turns, and grade of the road in relation to how it can facilitate emergency vehicles.

The Board discussed moving forward with sharing a mechanic and the rental cost of bay space in Rollinsville with Timberline Fire Protection District. The monthly cost to the NFPD would be $500, which is already accounted for in the District’s 2025 budget. An intergovernmental agreement between the two Districts is currently under review. 

Chief Schmidtmann also presented two options for an updated holiday pay structure. Schmidtmann noted that the District’s current policy favors holiday pay for administrative staff but not for shift staff, mainly the Nederland Fire Department’s Captains. 

The Board was in favor of updating the holiday pay structure, choosing to go with Schmidtmann’s plan of allocating an additional ten hours for each Shift Captain for all major federal holidays, a total of 120 hours, equating to roughly $15,000 to be paid out to the eligible personnel at the end of the year.

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, December 18, 2024, at 7 p.m. 

For more information go to: https://www.nfpd.org.