NEDERLAND - The Nederland Fire Protection District (NFPD) Board of Directors met on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, to review district operations over the last month. They also briefly discussed the implications for them arising from the Town of Nederland’s acquiring the Eldora Mountain Resort.  

On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, POWDR released a press release, announcing the start of the acquisition process between the Town of Nederland, a consortium of private interests in the recreational sector known as 303 Ski, and the major ski conglomerate.

“I have some pretty significant concerns,” NFPD Chief Charlie Schmidtmann began the discussion, noting that, after he heard the news of Nederland entering into the process to purchase Eldora, he had contacted Mayor Billy Giblin requesting a meeting. “We need to talk about how this can negatively affect the fire department.”

As Eldora is currently within the District, NFPD provides fire and medical services whenever needed. Schmidtmann explained to the Board his main concerns regarding the acquisition, which included the possible loss of tax revenue simultaneously with the potential increase in service needs.

“If that becomes a government entity we’ll lose the revenue from it,” Schmidtmann said about the ski mountain. “We can lose around $105,000 a year in tax revenue.” 

Board members asked about the Town’s plans to annex land on the mountain in order to facilitate summer recreation and additional revenue opportunities and how that will additionally affect the NFPD. 

Schmidtmann stated that increasing visitation in the summer could result in the need for more coverage from the fire department, which could mean a reduction in coverage to Nederland residents, something that Schmidtmann adamantly wants to avoid. 

It was noted that during the height of ski season, American Medical Response often has a staffed ambulance stationed at Eldora, which they can afford to commit to the mountain due to yearly financial assistance from Boulder County.

Board members shared concerns about financial strain causing potential budget cuts for both the County and the City of Boulder that may impact future coverage of emergency services. 

As of the printing of this article, Mayor Giblin and Chief Schmidtmann have yet to meet regarding the NFPD’s concerns.

Chief’s report

The NFPD Board of Directors received Chief Schmidtmann’s monthly report, starting with the Calls of Significance answered in the District; Schmidtmann’s report indicated that District personnel had answered up to 40 calls since June 18, 2025.

NFPD personnel responded to Ubon’s parking lot in Nederland to put out a car fire; drove their UTV up Hessie Trail to rescue a patient suffering an ankle injury; transported a victim of a car crash down the hill to the hospital; responded to Peewink Mountain to treat someone suffering an allergic reaction; walked a patient with a head injury off of 4th of July Trail; and stabilized a patient suffering a major cardiac arrest in the town of Eldora. 

Water recovery issues

Regarding the NFPD’s assistance with the recovery of Chadwick Potter’s body from Barker Reservoir on Sunday, July 6, Schmidtmann stated to the Board that the operation highlighted some challenges that must be addressed. 

The District’s inflatable raft and motor proved problematic during the operation, resulting in personnel having to paddle the raft. Schmidtmann suggested that the NFPD consider the purchase of a new boat, one which can be easily mobilized in the summer and can be used to quickly respond to a rescue far out in the reservoir.  

Training

Schmidtmann’s monthly report also detailed the advanced training being performed and conducted by NFPD personnel, including a live burn led by Captain Glen Wheelock and attended by 13 firefighters, performed in the burn trailer located at the Nederland fire station. 

Captain Wheelock has also been working on completing a driver training program to teach NFPD members basic apparatus driving and operation skills.

This course will be divided into two phases, for larger vehicles and for smaller vehicles. The program is expected to begin in late July. 

As part of an initiative by Boulder County fire services, a committee has been formed to develop the curriculum for Exterior Firefighter certification, which Captain Wheelock has joined under the expectation that the curriculum will be completed by October of this year. 

Schmidtmann reported that Captain Nick Faes taught a class on complicated patient refuses, and that Captain Conor Moran led a Rapid Intervention Team training, a Firefighter CPR training, a Structure Fire Attack class with Captain Wheelock, and a class on “explosions, burns, penetrating trauma, and bad decisions.”

EMS initiatives

The Board was also provided with an update on the District’s Emergency Medical Services initiatives, which include setting up the District’s new ambulance with medical and operational equipment.

This involves ensuring that the ambulance’s inventory matches the department’s standards and guidelines, and that the controlled substances, airway kits, and trauma equipment required for the final deployment of the ambulance are stocked and readily accessible.    

District medical personnel received Narcan Documentation Training, and the department received an additional supply of Narcan kits through a partnership with a regional harm reduction program. 

Additionally, a state EMS representative was welcomed for a site visit and consultation on upcoming state-level ambulance licensing requirements.

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, August 20, 2025, at 7 p.m. 

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