July 27, 2017
It has been a long time since I updated this site, so I wanted to take a minute to reach out and extend my well wishes to the people of the district, family, friends and supporters. I have been in office as a Director for over a year now and it has been a great experience. I appreciate being part of this Board that helps govern a great Fire department dedicated to excellence in public safety.
The Arvada Fire Protection District covers 41 square miles and includes about 115,368 citizens. It was formed in 1949 after a vote from the citizens. The election transferred control from the Arvada City Council to district which has five elected directors. We now employ almost two hundred staff with eight fire stations. The next station will be in the Northwest corridor near the Candelas neighborhood. Our department will continue to carefully monitor population demands and response times in the area. Special Districts are separate forms of local government that many people do not follow closely. I think it is important for people to be aware of local government issues.
A new section on this website has a list of helpful links that connect to other important sites. Those sites include the District web site, Firefighter cancer support network, the Colorado school safety resource center and No DUI Colorado. The statistics on the cancer support network are stunning. It is estimated that cancer caused 70 percent of firefighter line of duty deaths in 2016. Eighty percent of the calls to this department are medical which include traffic accidents and mental health emergencies. As an Addictions Counselor and School security employee, this fact is an important area of concern to me. To follow some of the districts dispatch calls, you can download the Pulse Point app for on your smart phone to see basic information about the calls and access important safety information such as access to AED devices, i.e., Automated external defibrillator.
My term of office runs to May of 2020. The next election for three Directors is in May of 2018. Most people forget about special district elections so remember to ask questions and vote. Like the City Council, these are non-partisan elections and rightfully so because most issues do not have a strong political divide. A few issues do fall within the spectrum of common political disagreements. I am supporter of labor, environmental, and fair taxation where my opinions have differed with my colleagues. I believe this a positive step for the department and community.
Lastly, remember fires are caused in numerous ways and some of the common are careless smoking, outdoor grills, candles and cooking fires. I encourage you to look over the district’s web site especially the Community Risk Reduction Division. They do a great job.
I have a Facebook page where I post public information and I will probably activate my e-mail list later. Please like my page, stay in touch and contact me with any questions.
Thank you,
Tim Allport
Board of Directors, Arvada Fire Protection District