NEDERLAND — The Nederland Fire Protection District (NFPD) Board of Directors met on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, to review the Town of Nederland’s license agreement for the use of their land at the Nederland Public Works Yard on Ridge Road for a “burn building” training area. 

Fire Chief Charlie Schmidtmann and Captain Conor Moran originally began discussions with the Town back in November of 2025 about the use of space at the Yard to resume their water training, and to hold larger-scale training sessions for active fire practice with hoses and ladders. 

During a meeting of the Board of Trustees (BOT) on March 17, 2026, Schmidtmann detailed how using training facilities down the hill puts responders an hour away from Nederland at minimum, how both the Longmont and Boulder “burn buildings” have been closed for extreme structural damage, and how assessments for constructing a new burn building in Boulder show that it would cost over $2 million.

Currently, local fire crews are forced to utilize Boulder County’s two “burn trailers” for live fire training, located in the Sugar Loaf Fire Protection District. 

After Schmidtmann surveyed the Town’s property with Streets Department Manager Joshua Davis and Parks Department Manager Nicki Koch, a near-ideal potential location was identified, which prompted a letter to be drafted and approved by the BOT, indicating the Town’s support of the NFPD and intended to be used for grant applications.

It was intended at that time for Town staff to work with the NFPD on drafting and implementing an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) regarding fire mitigation work being conducted on Town-owned property. After the District pursued all of their available options—including the potential to use 40 acres of privately-owned land—work continued on the IGA with the Town. Progress on the document has not been reported since June. 

Despite Schmidtmann’s hope for a lease agreement for the use of the Town’s land, instead the District was presented with a license agreement, which the NFPD Board of Directors were tasked with reviewing, along with notes from Schmidtmann and District personnel that highlighted several concerns. 

Those concerns include issues with specific language in the agreement concerning the scheduling of operations, proper notification process, condition documenting, and supervision and coverage expectations. 

The NFPD also cited issues with the agreement’s provision over providing at least 10 days notice for live fire training, with the District suggesting at least 48 hours notice to allow flexibility in the event of “changes caused by staffing, weather, or instructor availability.”

The agreement also gives the Town the authority to cancel training sessions without having to provide “a specific operational or safety reason, prompt notification, or coordination of an alternate date.”

Also, according to the current draft of the license agreement, the Town is given carte blanche to “adjust access routes or staging areas,” and has “the right to enter the Licensed Premises at all times.”

In the interest of public safety, the District suggested that all “apparatus access, staging, parking, and emergency exits” be marked on the official site plan, and that anyone who plans to enter the training area be required to coordinate with the instructor beforehand, except in the event of an emergency.

With the NFPD having spent over a year pursuing its own training area to better equip their personnel with the skills necessary to keep Nederland safe, the long journey seems close to an end, as only the refinement of agreements with the Town of Nederland is required before the District’s dream can become reality. 

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, November 18, 2026, at 7 p.m. 

For more information go to: nfpd.org.