What’s New

Fire Prevention and Administrative Offices Move

In an effort to expand service in Avon, the District has moved the Fire Prevention and Administrative offices from the Avon Fire Station to 90 Benchmark Road, Suite 101 in the White River Center; which is just about 300 yards east of the Avon Fire Station. This move has allowed us to expand staffing at the station and increase the service level to the Avon community. All phone numbers have remained the same, with the exception of the fax number. The new fax number for Fire Prevention and Administration is (970) 949-7965.

Ladder Truck Replacement

In 2008, the District acquired and put into a service a new 100 foot aerial ladder truck. At a cost of approximately $980,000 it replaced a 28 year old ladder truck acquired in early 1981.  The old truck had mechanical reliability issues which resulted in high costs to repair and a decreased in-service availability. 

The 2008 Ladder Truck is currently housed at Station 15 in Cordillera. Once a replacement station is constructed in Avon, the ladder truck will be re-positioned to Avon where there is a greater concentration of high-rise risk.

The new ladder truck provides the District with these capabilities:

• Rescue – Enables firefighters to safely access windows, roofs, and other elevated areas of most homes and businesses. Serves as an emergency access and exit from the fire building for firefighters and the public.
• Ventilation - Most new roof construction is a “truss” type, which is lightweight and fails early in a fire. The ladder truck provides safer roof ventilation operations. Ventilation releases super heated and toxic gases resulting in safer conditions for firefighters to conduct searches, rescues and extinguishment of the fire.
• Fire Suppression – The ladder truck can be used for elevated water streams that limit fire spread; the water supply pipe is integrated with the ladder.

Accreditation

As a professional organization, the Eagle River Fire Protection District strives to always provide the best possible emergency service. A cornerstone of this commitment to continuous improvement, the practice of detailed organizational assessment provides the District with the ability to ensure that its services effectively meet the risks experienced by the community.

With the above in mind, the Eagle River Fire Protection District has launched a comprehensive initiative to earn international accreditation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence. The process of earning accreditation includes conducting a detailed analysis of the District’s services and the creation of strategic plans to ensure that, as the emergency service needs of the community evolve, the District keeps pace.

Without a doubt, earning accredited status will require maximum effort on the part of District staff.  However, the true benefit will be found in the critical analysis of District services that accreditation requires. By undergoing the process of detailed analysis, comprehensive planning and independent third-party review, the Eagle River Fire Protection District will ensure that is remains an effective, responsible and professional emergency service well into the future.

SAFER Grant

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded $975,420 to the Eagle River Fire Protection District as a recipient of the federal agency’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program.  The Fire District will use the grant funds to hire nine full-time firefighters to fill the need for extra firefighters given the growth and increased demand within the District.

The national SAFER Grant Program strives to enhance local fire departments’ abilities to comply with staffing, response and operational standards established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  Specifically, SAFER funds will assist the Eagle River Fire Protection District to increase its daily staffing, enhancing its ability to respond to a variety of emergencies with an appropriate number of firefighters.

The grant will add 3 firefighters per day and will help the District provide a faster, safer and more efficient response to our constituents. Covering a period of five years, the grant will provide the District with a large portion of the cost associated with hiring the nine new firefighters, saving the District close to $1M.