At last meeting of the Elk Creek Firefighter’s Association the membership unanimously voted to support the Elk Creek Fire Protection District’s proposed 2-mil increase in property tax for the purpose of vehicle acquisition, associated equipment, and maintenance. There is no doubt in our minds that something needs to be done about our aging fleet. We strongly support Chief Dolan’s vehicle replacement program which addresses vehicle needs not just today but out into the future.

Elk Creek provides emergency services including: emergency medical, structural firefighting, wildland firefighting, rescue operations, and hazardous materials response to a 98 square mile fire district within Jefferson and Park Counties including the Conifer and Pine Junction areas. These services are provided by a mostly volunteer combination fire department.

The proposed increase would bring Elk Creek up from 4.915 mils to 6.915 mils which equates to a fire tax jump from approximately $150 to $210 annually for a home with an assessed value of $300,000.00 within Elk Creek. The new mil rate would still be lower than any of our neighboring fire districts; Evergreen’s is at 9.324 mils, Inter-Canyon’s is at 10.617 mils, Platte Canton’s new rate is 11.360 mils, North Fork’s is at 12.000, and Indian Hills is at 12.042. These numbers and others can be found at
http://www.dola.state.co.us/dlg/local_governments/tax_entity_f.html

The Elk Creek Firefighter’s Association, IAFF Local 4710 was formed in 2009 with the mission of providing the highest quality of representation, education, and political action to advance and protect our firefighting careers and the quality of emergency services provided to the citizens of the Elk Creek Fire Protection District. As professional firefighters within a mostly volunteer combination fire department we understand the importance of education, training, and certification of all firefighters. It’s the synergistic relationship between all firefighters, those who volunteer to be firefighters and those who are paid to be firefighters, which provide for our safety and allow us to continue to provide the highest quality emergency services to our citizens.

Jacob Ware, President
Elk Creek Firefighters Association