Happy New Year!
I hope this finds you well as we start the New Year. January 1, 2023, marks a significant milestone at Front Range Fire Rescue; It is the 5th anniversary of the District. The District started as an Authority when the Milliken and Johnstown Fire Protection Districts joined forces in 2015. Then, after our residents voted in 2017, it merged into the Front Range Fire District on this date in 2018.
In the last few years, we have set a foundation to prepare for the growth and change that our area is experiencing.
- We have increased career staff to respond quickly to your emergencies. We rely less on part-time staff that FRFR frequently trained only to leave for other jobs after a few months. Our attrition rate is now one of the lowest in the region. Over the next few years, we will continue to grow our ranks in preparation for future call volume.
- Our facilities have been updated to allow for more modern facilities for our firefighters and our partners from UC Health. In 2023 we will update Station 1 in Johnstown to allow for more office space and better training opportunities for future needs.
- We have written and continue to update our strategic plan and our FRFR Way document. Front Range Fire Rescue has a distinctive culture that we continue to develop daily.
- We have increased our presence in the community through social media, our new website, and more community outreach.
- We have enhanced automatic aid agreements with nearly all of our surrounding agencies. In 2023, we anticipate completing that process with all of our neighbors. There is no place for artificial boundaries in today's fire service, and our citizens deserve the fastest response possible.
- We have procured the property for Station 4 and will look to add the property for Station 5 this year. We are enhancing our training capabilities by looking for property for a new training facility.
- Our members are more thoroughly trained, educated, and compensated for the critical work they do for our citizens. Our new firefighters attend the Front Range Fire Consortium academy to start, and we have a robust training program that takes them even further. A significant change has been the robust succession plan that we have added. This assures that our future leadership continues to raise the bar of service.
- Our financial footing is solid, with our reserves providing stability in uncertain times and being used to fund our future growth through careful data-driven analysis.
Our past has built a strong foundation for us to grow into the future. Without the decades of local volunteers and citizens who started our parent organizations, we would not be where we are today. We would have been behind the growth curve without the vision of our Board members, past and present, in creating this District. Our citizens can be proud of their firefighters and the service they provide. I am excited about our next chapter, and FRFR looks forward to continuing to serve you with Courage, Compassion, and Professionalism.
Yours in service,
