Looking back on 2022, it was nice to get back to more normal operations, and it was great to see so many of you at community events and activities. Navigating through the peak of the pandemic was tough on all of us in various ways, and I'm grateful for the men and women of North Metro Fire who overcame challenges and continued to deliver a high level of service to our community. I am proud of their hard work and dedication and for the achievements we made as an organization in the last year.
In 2022, we made incredible strides in improving emergency response to our region as a whole. The integrated 911 hub discussed in this report is one way we are working collaboratively in the north area to bring the best level of service to our residents while minimizing costs. Thanks to the 911 hub, we can deploy a larger number of resources to emergencies more quickly than ever before. We also took advantage of lessons learned from the Marshall Fire to enhance our training and operational capabilities for responding to large-scale emergencies. Additionally, we partnered with our cities, counties and residents to assess and mitigate wildland fire risks and build a more resilient community. These are just a couple of notable highlights from the past year, but you’ll find more accomplishments shared in the following report.
North Metro Fire prides itself on its ability to adapt to change, and this past decade has certainly put that value to the test. If you look around and see the large amount of construction in our area as well as new businesses coming to the District, it should be no surprise to hear our community is growing. With that growth, North Metro Fire emergency call volume has increased 82% over the last decade.
Emergency call volume wasn't the only thing that grew dramatically in 2022. We also saw a significant increase in costs last year due to rising inflation and supply chain issues. The cost of emergency vehicles and equipment continues to rise at an even higher rate than inflation. Knowing our future needs, North Metro Fire took initiative and purchased essential equipment and emergency vehicles to avoid further cost increases. We also worked closely with our vendors to ensure we were getting the best possible pricing on equipment, and we continue to look for ways to reduce costs without compromising the level of service to our community.
Looking ahead, we expect that growth and staffing challenges will continue to have an impact on fire departments across our region. Similar to other job markets, the fire service has seen a decrease in the number of candidates pursuing careers in public safety. There is also a paramedic shortage across the nation, making the recruitment of quality firefighters and paramedics in Colorado more competitive than it has ever been. Additionally, emergency calls have become more complicated, requiring more training, expertise and specialized equipment. Despite these challenges, North Metro Fire continues to adapt and find ways to recruit, develop and retain the best individuals to serve our community. I’m confident in the abilities of our dedicated employees who prioritize the safety of our community, and together, we are committed to finding cost-effective ways to maintain the level of service provided to you.
Regional 911 Dispatching Hub Launches, Improving Response Times in Certain Areas
Minimizing response times is a top priority for North Metro Fire, and last year, the District made significant progress in this area. Colorado’s first regional computer-aided dispatch (CAD) hub launched in the spring, connecting four 911 emergency communications centers and six fire departments, including North Metro Fire. As a result, emergency response times decreased by over two minutes in areas where fire departments border one another.
Throughout the region, every fire department’s coverage area includes homes and businesses that are located closer to a neighboring department’s fire station than their own. Prior to the launch of the integrated 911 hub, there was a two-to-three-minute delay that would occur when a 911 dispatcher had to manually request emergency resources from a neighboring fire station. Not only would the manual process cause a delay in response time, but it also was flawed because dispatchers had no way of knowing if neighboring emergency resources were actually available and near the incident.
The integrated CAD hub eliminates that delay by tracking all emergency units via GPS and automatically dispatching the closest units to a 911 call, regardless of jurisdiction. With the new system, North Metro Fire can get more resources to incidents more quickly than ever before. Sharing neighboring resources not only improves response times and outcomes for the community, it also allows fire departments to operate in a safer and more cost-effective manner.
The creation of the regional 911 dispatching hub was a multi-year, collaborative project funded primarily through grants, including an Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) grant that provided $1 million. Additionally, another $500,000 was invested by the participating agencies whose CAD systems were integrated in 2022. The regional 911 hub is estimated to field more than 62,000 emergency calls annually, while covering a response area over 375 square miles in size, including Broomfield, Northglenn, Westminster, Thornton, Brighton and most of Adams County.
Check out the video below with our regional partners that shares more about the benefits of the CAD-to-CAD hub.
North Metro Fire Partners with Cities to Reduce Wildfire Risk
On the heels of the Marshall Fire, North Metro Fire, in partnership with the City and County of Broomfield, the City of Northglenn and community members, took a proactive approach to reassessing the community’s risk for wildland urban interface fires and working on initiatives to help protect the District.
What's does "wildland urban interface" mean?
Wildland urban interface (WUI) fire is a fire service term describing a wildfire that spreads to a residential area. The wildland urban interface is a zone of transition between wilderness (unoccupied land) and developed land. For example, open space areas with natural vegetation that adjoin residential neighborhoods form a WUI zone. More than 60,000 communities in the United States are at risk for WUI fires, and that number continues to grow each year (Source: National Assn. of State Foresters).
North Metro Fire's experienced and specialized Wildland Team, in partnership with our cities and counties, conducted an assessment of the entire fire district, evaluating levels of wildland fire risk in each area of the District. Following their assessment, the Wildland Team created a map showing the various levels of wildland risk in the community and shared that map with Broomfield and Northglenn city leaders.
North Metro Fire partnered with each county on action plans targeting wildland fire risk reduction and continues to do so. Fortunately, many of North Metro Fire's recommendations were already being done by the cities.
North Metro Fire and its city partners also worked together to educate District residents and business owners on actions they could take to reduce risk around their property. The effort included in-person presentations, collaborations with HOAs, and developing a variety of educational resources for community members to access.
Additionally, North Metro’s Fire Prevention Division developed a helpful guide around outdoor burning and grilling for residents to better understand what is and isn’t allowed during normal conditions and when burn restrictions or bans are enacted.
REMEMBERING THE MARSHALL FIRE: ONE YEAR LATER
December 30, 2022, marked one year since the Marshall Fire swept through the region, making it the most destructive fire in Colorado's history. Typically, North Metro Fire wouldn’t tell a story about a fire occurring in another agency’s jurisdiction because it’s their story to tell. However, given the significant impact of the Marshall Fire and the substantial amount of resources North Metro Fire dedicated to supporting Boulder County and protecting our own community, we wanted to capture the experiences of our firefighters in their own words. We were only one of many fire departments assisting on the Marshall Fire, and the video covers only a handful of accounts from that day.
As with any large-scale event, there were numerous lessons learned both during the fire and in the days and months that followed. North Metro Fire has taken those lessons and is using them to continually train and improve operations during large-scale fires and other disasters. In partnership with the cities and counties in the fire district and with residents, North Metro Fire working to build a more resilient community.
EMS Division Grows, Enhancing Patient Care and EMS Training
North Metro Fire prides itself on providing exceptional emergency medical services (EMS) through a model founded on advanced training, a robust continuous quality improvement (CQI) program and interagency collaboration. The District also continually enhances patient care protocols, partnering with its medical directors to incorporate the latest evidence-based best practices in a broad range of prehospital care topics.
Training is at the root of everything North Metro Fire does, and EMS is no exception. The EMS Division conducts monthly trainings and invests in the latest technology and equipment to improve patient care and outcomes. In 2022, North Metro added new trauma simulation technology that replicates real-life emergency scenarios, allowing firefighters to practice and refine their skills in bleeding control and advanced airway management, among other areas. Additionally, decreased COVID-19 restrictions led to enhanced in-person educational opportunities and greater collaboration with the District's North Area partners and area hospitals.
In late 2021, Dr. Jason Roosa and Dr. Colleen Foster, experienced emergency department physicians, joined North Metro as the District’s Medical Directors. They have worked closely with EMS Division leaders to support all aspects of prehospital care delivery with a clear focus on enhancing education, developing agency-specific protocols, and improving patient outcomes through CQI. This has led to a more comprehensive data analysis process, empowering the EMS Division to identify trends and make adjustments to protocols and training. New protocols for medical emergencies like stroke and trauma as well as pain management have developed from this process.
With the goal of improving cardiac arrest outcomes in our community, the leadership of North Metro's EMS Division attended The Resuscitation Academy in Seattle, WA, in 2022. Based on the knowledge and insights gained from the academy, which is taught by world-renowned leaders in the field, North Metro is taking concrete steps to enhance its high-performance CPR model. This includes strengthening internal processes, improving the skills and training of its personnel, enhancing public education and working closely with regional dispatch centers.
Additionally, based on the successes and lessons learned from the Marshall Fire hospital evacuations, the EMS Division leaders have been active in the development of the regional standardization and training model for any future events that could result in a hospital requesting the support of local EMS to rapidly evacuate and transport patients to other facilities.
Special Teams Add Expertise to Complex Calls
In addition to North Metro Fire's daily operations, the District supports five special teams that provide added capabilities for complex incidents. The Technical Rescue Team, Hazardous Materials Team, Wildland Team, Airport Operations Team and Honor Guard consist of North Metro firefighters who receiving additional training and certifications to equip them to lead incidents, such as a trench rescue at a construction site, a hazardous materials spill, a plane crash at the airport, a large grass fire in near a residential area and services to honor a fallen first responder.
Technical Rescue Team Overview
North Metro Fire’s Technical Rescue Team is comprised of 18 firefighters with specialized certifications and training in rescues involving confined spaces, high angle rope systems, structural collapses, water and trenches. Due to the high risk and large number of personnel involved in technical rescue emergencies, training is essential throughout the year. In 2022 alone, members of North Metro’s Technical Rescue Team put in more than 1,156 hours of specialized rescue training.
Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Team Overview
North Metro Fire has a 25-member Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Team whose mission is to protect life, property, and the environment by isolating, containing, and mitigating hazardous materials incidents. The HazMat Team has advanced training and specialization in hazmat detection, identification and monitoring.
Wildland Team Overview
The North Metro Fire Wildland Team consists of 25 firefighters who are certified by the National Wildland Coordinating Group (NWCG) in various positions for wildland firefighting. These team members are part of a national firefighting response system. When requested by NWCG to assist on a wildfire, the team typically staffs at least three firefighters on a Type 6 engine, which is a specialized dual-cab truck equipped with wildland firefighting tools and carrying 280 gallons of water onboard.
Airport Operations Team Overview
North Metro Fire Station 65 adjoins Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (RMMA) and is the specialty station for airport and aviation firefighting operations. Station 65 houses the District's Aicraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) response vehicle, which is specialized to extinguish aviation fires.
training: preparing for all hazards all the time
North Metro Fire was happy to host and lead the 11th North Area Fire Academy in 2022 at North Metro Fire’s Training Center. In total, 22 firefighters representing five fire departments graduated from the 15-week academy in July. North Metro Fire gained six firefighters who completed the academy and are currently serving the community.
Additionally, the Training Division hosted a full calendar of trainings last year at North Metro Fire’s Training Center, including the Heavy Rescue Academy, Safety and Medical Officer Academy and Company Officer Fundamentals courses. They also conducted trainings on fire investigation, auto extrication and specialties centered around hazardous materials, technical rescue and wildland firefighting.
fire prevention: minimizing community risk as construction increases
North Metro’s Fire Prevention Division administers the fire codes that are adopted by the cities and counties that we serve. This administration includes reviewing plans for new construction projects and alterations to existing buildings to ensure each facility complies with fire and life safety standards. The Fire Prevention Division also issues permits and conducts inspections, both during the construction phase as well as throughout the lifecycle of the building to minimize risks related to fire and hazardous materials storage and use.
In 2022, the region continued to see substantial new construction activity creating the third busiest year for the Fire Prevention Division. Staff conducted over 900 plan reviews, just under 800 inspections, and issued just under 400 permits. Despite the busy year, Fire Prevention continued to make progress in reducing the average time for plan reviews to under 14 calendar days.
Community outreach
North Metro Fire Celebrates Completion of Station 61 and Station 62
After two years of restricted community outreach due to the pandemic, North Metro Fire was happy to resume in-person activities again, engaging with residents and businesses through community events and safety education efforts.
In 2022, the District hosted two open houses celebrating the major renovation of Fire Station 62 in Northglenn and complete rebuilding and expansion of Fire Station 61 in Broomfield. The open houses each attracted hundreds of attendees, making the events two of North Metro Fire’s largest in the history of the fire department. As part of the Station 61 Open House in December, North Metro incorporated a holiday toy drive, collecting hundreds of toys for area families thanks to the generosity of the community. This was in addition to the annual events the fire district hosted or participated in, such as Fire Prevention Week, Broomfield Days and National Night Out.
Partnering with Cities and Citizens to Save Lives
CPR remains one of the most important skills residents can learn to help save more lives in Broomfield and Northglenn. In 2022, North Metro Fire resumed its free Family and Friends CPR classes teaching hands-only CPR to residents. Additionally, North Metro’s life safety educator and firefighters taught hundreds of residents CPR over the course of the year through training sessions at community events and through partnering with area businesses and organizations to teach groups the lifesaving skill. District staff are partnering with high schools in 2023 to expand CPR education to teachers, coaches and students.
District Administration
Enhanced Financial Reporting Provided to Community Members
North Metro Fire completed its first Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the year ending December 31, 2021. The enhanced financial reporting in the ACFR provides additional transparency about the use of taxpayers’ money as well as accurate and meaningful information concerning the District’s financial condition and performance. The ACFR also acts as a report card for the District by providing the general public with insights into how their elected officials and executive team manages the finances of the District.
North Metro Residents Re-Elect Billera and Miller to Board
In May 2022, two seats on North Metro Fire’s board of directors were up for election. Three candidates vied for the at-large seats, and residents voted to re-elect Richard Miller and Peter Billera to the board. The directors began serving their second 3-year terms following the May election.
In 2022, North Metro Fire’s board worked closely with District leaders to address minimum staffing needs and reduce firefighter burnout and excessive overtime, a challenge facing fire departments across the nation. They also continued to provide oversight of the District’s capital improvement plans and larger purchases, including the completion of Station 61, planning for additional stations in the future, and the purchase of four fire engines, two ambulances and one brush truck to be used for wildland firefighting.