Congressman Neguse tours Timberline Station 3

Timberline Fire Protection District (TFPD) acquired the Fritz Peak Observatory (FPO) property, located at 19126 Highway 119 just outside of Rollinsville, through a federal disposal process at no cost to the district. The building required many repairs and improvements, including the roof, cistern, septic, and a three-bay addition for fire apparatus.

Situated at 8,970 feet, FPO was primarily used as a laboratory to conduct scientific research on the Earth’s atmosphere, such as the aurora phenomenon, in an effort to better understand and predict climate behavior. The leading scientist, Dr. Clyde Burnett, wrote several books about climate change and would use lasers to study upper atmosphere pollution.

Now the building is the headquarters for TFPD and is known as Station 3. Timberline is an “all-hazards agency,” meaning they respond to everything from medical calls and vehicle accidents, to structure and wildland fires, to backcountry and technical rescues.

They respond from ten different stations which house around two dozen pieces of apparatus. The rural nature of the district makes for a handful of challenges ranging from extreme weather and high altitude, to inadequate water supply for fire suppression, to the steep, winding, mostly unpaved roads that make up a large majority of the community.

The addition of the Observatory station provides more coverage for the northern part of the district, improving response times and ensuring a higher level of safety for residents and firefighters. Once the station is fully functional, the response time could be reduced by half and strengthen the ability to retrieve water for firefighting needs.

To aid in the costs of the repairs and improvements, TFPD applied for the Department of Agriculture Community Facilities Grant in the amount of $908,279. This funding is to construct a three fire-apparatus bay addition attached to the existing building.

The entire project proposal costs about $1.6 million and includes 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.

Colorado Rep. Joe Neguse (D) selected the Fritz Peak Observatory Project to endorse for funding. The grant has been approved by the House and is working its way through the Senate.

This last hurdle awaits, but if the grant is not received, Timberline Fire Chief Paul Ondr will seek funding through other sources, possibly donations or lease agreements.

Neguse shed light on the need to take care of firefighters and spends much of his time and energy on these issues. He introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation that looks to both increase the salaries of federal wildland fighters and strengthen wildfire preparedness.

The Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act would seek to augment recruitment efforts, strengthen worker retention, and improve employee wellbeing in a high-risk profession. The Act would raise base pay to augment the temporary pay raise that was introduced in 2020 so that firefighters will not see pay cuts.

Neguse toured FPO Station 3 on Sunday, August 13, 2023, where he met the Timberline Staff including Fire Chief Ondr, Administrative Chief Jennifer Hinderman, Board President Rick Wenzel, and Vice President John Bushey, among others.

Ondr reported that TFPD took ownership in May 2022 and the approximate five-acre site includes the three-story main building, the two-bedroom cottage that sits behind the main building, and the observation platform on Dutch Peak.

Neguse asked about the boundaries of the district to which Ondr replied, “We cover about 25 square miles and everything in Gilpin County excluding the City of Central and Black Hawk. We have ten employees and about forty volunteers.”

He reported it has been a long time since a wildland fire has occurred, possibly due to a combination of elevation, geography, and luck. Mitigation efforts continue throughout the county.

Ondr showed Neguse the floor plans, explaining where and how the bay addition would integrate into the building. Later the parties ventured outside for a photo op and a tour of where the bays will be installed.

Neguse said that the Democrats have been making the case that the federal government ought to take steps to push some of the unused properties they are no longer maintaining to county governments, city governments, and special districts, so they can be utilized for other purposes.

The Congressman said he is cautiously optimistic that the project will be considered on the floor before the end of the year. He thanked Ondr and all firefighters for putting their lives on the line to protect others.

Ondr said he was grateful for all of Neguse’s assistance and that this project also indirectly helps other county entities including the ambulance authority.

The Timberline Fire Department grant was one of Neguse’s FY’24 Community Project selections through the appropriations process. These projects will positively impact the district, and Neguse’s office will continue to advocate for funding.