John Scarffe, Nederland. The Nederland Fire Protection District Board of Directors welcomed a new member and welcomed back Fire Chief Rick Dirr during a regular meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 4, 2020. The Board also discussed options for the 2021 budget. 

The Board presented new Firefighter Joe Luna with his Firefighter Helmet. Joe was recently promoted from recruit to firefighter after completing an arduous training program involving firefighting, rescue, medical and district knowledge. The District’s latest full firefighter, Luna completed his EMT-B and his wildland FFT2 in 2019 and his Firefighter 1 and Hazmat Ops in 2020. He is an arborist by trade and is looking forward to becoming a full-time professional firefighter.

The Board welcomed back Fire Chief Rick Dirr. According to the meeting agenda, the Board of Directors and the Fire Chief held a discussion regarding a work plan for his return to work as an at will employee as agreed at the October 8 board meeting. The board and the Fire Chief reached an agreement on the plan and return, and the Chief returned to work on Monday November 2, 2020. “The Chief and the board look forward to the future growth and success of the department.”

During Public Comment at the November 4 meeting, Travis Brock said by email that he supported Dirr and he has worked with the Fire Protection District as the Eldora ski patrol director since 2012. Dirr has been a respected resource, offered support and is a huge asset to the ski patrol. 

The Board discussed three options for the 2021 budget. Irwin-Powell and Chief Dirr have provided the options. Projected income this year is $983,417, by the time the bills are paid, which leaves the District with around $100,000 to spend. 

Adding to the website would be a good idea, and they would like to discuss that and other ways for communication. They added in a 3 percent pay raise for wages.

They need new recruits and have a $15,000 budget for structure fire training and four or five sets of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for structure wildland fires. They need t-shirts for new members. Next year they will focus on membership safety and PPE. Board members expressed support for option three and then adjourned into executive session.

The proposed budget is available for public viewing at Nederland Fire Station 1, 650 Lower West Fourth Street, Nederland. Any interested elector may inspect the proposed budget and file, or register any objection thereto, with the Board of Directors prior to the adoption of the 2021 budget. 

The next meeting of the Nederland Fire Protection Board of Directors will be on November 18, 2020, at 7 p.m. for public comment on the budget. The budget will be adopted at the next regular Board meeting on December 2, 2020, at 7 p.m.

Due to COVID-19 we are currently holding our meetings via Zoom. Unless otherwise published in the meeting announcement the Zoom meeting information is Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/9208343550.   

(Originally published in the November 12, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)