Rep. Neguse Secures Nearly $1 Million in Federal Funding for Timberline Fire to Expand Emergency Services & Response
Lafayette, CO — Today, Congressman Joe Neguse, Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus, announced $908,279 in Community Project Funding for the Timberline Fire Protection District to make necessary improvements to the recently acquired Fritz Peak Observatory (FPO) property. Rep. Neguse successfully championed and secured the investment as part of the first set of government funding bills signed into law by President Biden on Saturday, March 9.
In August 2023, Rep. Neguse visited the Timberline Fire Headquarters in Gilpin County, meeting with Fire Chief Paul Ondr and members of the staff to learn more about the project, which includes the construction of a three fire-apparatus bay addition, an underground 30,000-gallon firefighting water cistern to quickly refill fire trucks during an incident, backup generator power, all necessary utilities, and fire sprinklers throughout to increase firefighter safety.
“I am thrilled to announce a significant investment for the Timberline Fire Protection District to improve its ability to respond to emergencies, as well as its capacity for tackling the increasing threat of fire and wildfire in our communities. The brave first responders at Timberline Fire are working hard to protect families and households across Gilpin County, and we will continue to work together to ensure they have the support they need,” said Congressman Neguse.
“I cannot state how important this award is to Gilpin and South Boulder County. Timberline Fire was incredibly fortunate to obtain the Fritz Peak Observatory at no cost to the community we serve. Our vision was to have the facility operating as Timberline Fire Station 3 and our district headquarters. The station will be the first ever permanent fire station serving Rollinsville, CO and the surrounding areas. This award is key to making this vision a reality. Not only will the new station serve Rollinsville, but it will also decrease response times to thousands of acres of heavily used National Forest lands and the headwaters of South Boulder Creek, which provides much of the drinking water for the metro area,” said Paul Ondr, Fire Chief, Timberline Fire Protection District.
Chief Ondr continued: “Ultimately, this funding will make our immediate community safer, and position Timberline Fire to be quicker and more efficient supporting the surrounding areas with mutual- and auto-aid. We are incredibly grateful to all our partners and local legislators that supported this project. Without the support of our friends and neighbors, this project may not have come to fruition. We also owe a special thank you to Congressman Neguse and his team for working with us throughout this process.”
Since taking office, Congressman Neguse has worked tirelessly to bring federal resources home to communities recovering from wildfire and to advocate for increased support for wildland firefighters, wildfire mitigation, wildfire prevention, and forest management. Rep. Neguse also announced that last week’s minibus appropriations package included an extension of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law pay increase for federal wildland firefighters. He continues to advocate for a permanent extension of this increase through his bipartisan, bicameral bill, the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act.
Rep. Neguse secured additional investments for other communities in Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, announcing a total of more than $11 million for 14 projects to directly benefit cities and towns in the district.
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