The Golden Gate Fire Protection District Board met on June 27, 2024, at 7 p.m. at the Grange and online. Board members present were Deb Curlee, President; Niffy Ovuworie, Vice-President and Treasurer. and Marith Reheis, Secretary; Dave Primmer was excused and Steve Green was not present.

There was discussion of the May 23 meeting minutes regarding their format. A motion to change that was defeated and the minutes were approved.

The Station 83 drainage engineer report and action will be presented next month because no quote had been received.

TAK (Team Awareness Kit) integration and FirstNet activation had been presented at the May 23 meeting. Since then, Chief Kyle Benson said he and Assistant Chief Chris Enright went back to FirstNet and requested a trial. He and Enright now have the equipment and are testing it.

The equipment receives data from “all the way up the canyon,” Benson said. Homes show as higher points, and there is good enough reception to run TAK. They are now looking at future emergency services. Much of the satellite data can go directly to phones.

Next year, with Starlink, they will be better able to communicate. Enright said they have a relatively good signal in parks. They have reliable reception in most of the district. They have a good depth of network.

At the previous meeting, Enright reported that the District can join the Wildland fire server system with the state of Colorado at no cost. District firefighters have been able to collect and bring the messages from that system into their regular phones.

The District can get tablets that are agency-specific on which they can write and get real-time communication. It is a federally mandated program for first responders nationwide.

Theoretically, FirstNet can order a cell tower on wheels at no cost. Not every firefighter would have a tablet, but the tablets would have mobile hot spots, and everyone in the area could likely hear the data.

The District will need nine tablets. At this point, First Net is offering the tablets free to the District.

The FirstNet Authority plans to invest $6.3 billion through its network contract with AT&T and anticipates an additional $2 billion for ongoing investments in coverage enhancements for public safety, currently under discussion by the parties. These strategic investments will expand and evolve FirstNet so public safety stays at the forefront of innovative, lifesaving technologies, according to their website.

Ovuworie said the District has discretionary funds and would add it to the communications budget.

Benson said he will put together a one-page document about TAK and present it next month, to which the Board agreed.

Chief Benson introduced review and approval of the Jeffco All Hazards IGA. He said they will have multiple IGAs, all of which are “pretty standard.” This particular IGA outlines mutual aid and assistance and puts guidelines around what is mutual aid for all fire departments in Jefferson County.

Signing this agreement needs approval from the Board. Ovuworie asked, “If every time Timberline shows up, are we paying for that?” Benson responded that “when we go into expanded periods beyond 24 hours it becomes billable.”

According to the agreement, “The Parties intend to authorize and provide the terms for their mutual assistance in an Emergency which requires resources in addition to those that can be provided by the Party in whose jurisdiction the Emergency occurs. Mutual assistance will be provided at the sole discretion of a responding party; this Agreement does not create an obligation to provide mutual assistance.”

The Board approved the IGA.

The Board approved authorization for fire insurance research and presentation. Ovuworie said he would like to put together a panel of insurance agents to provide questions and answers for homeowners and the district on how to keep their insurance. They could schedule a community meeting in the next few months.

The Board approved authorization for a FEMA grant application for battery energy storage (BESS) and to work with the chief and others on designs and estimates for BESS.

This would be for power backup, Ovuworie said. It can back up all or parts of the system, and the District could get a grant of $1 million in funding. It would cover rewiring the stations.

It would require a 25 percent match, but the IRS has an elective pay program that allows nonprofit agencies to get a direct payment that they can use for the match. This would not currently encumber any funds.

The next regular Board meeting will be July 25, 2024, at 7 p.m., at the Grange, 25231 Golden Gate Canyon Road, Golden CO, 80403. For more information, go to https://MAIN - Golden Gate Fire Protection District.