You are invited to participate in upcoming regional roundtable sessions hosted by the COFIRE Subcommittee of the Colorado Fire Commission.
These sessions are part of a statewide effort to better understand current challenges facing Colorado fire and EMS agencies and to refine potential long-term solutions:
June 12, 10am -12pm, Palisade Fire Protection District Station
June 13, 9am-11am, Eastern Fire Chiefs Meeting, Limon Area Fire Protection District
RSVP: tjs@elizabethfire.org
June 27, 10am -12pm, Salida Fire Department
RSVP: hferchau@gunnisonco.gov
July 8, 5:30-7:30pm, on Zoom
We encourage participation from fire service personnel, sheriffs’ offices, emergency managers, and community members.
An executive summary of the Subcommittee’s draft proposals is attached. For context, key areas of focus include:
Workforce challenges (recruitment, retention, and training)
Resource and equipment needs (apparatus, facilities, and funding)
System coordination (mutual aid and long-term service sustainability)
Some questions we will discuss include:
Outside of funding, what is your #1 priority need (administration, operations, personnel, etc.)?
What would ideal state support for your fire department look like?
What parts of this proposal feel workable, and what parts don't fit your reality?
What’s missing that would make the biggest difference for your agency?
Are there specific examples from your area that help illustrate these issues?
The goal of the roundtables is to gather input—not present final decisions—and to make sure that any solutions we identify match the needs of firefighters. Your perspective is important and we hope you can attend! Please RSVP to the emails listed above. For comments or questions, email fire_commission@state.co.us.