COLORADO FIRE COMMISSION

July 13th, 2023

Steamboat Springs, CO

MAIN GOALS FOR THE MEETING

• Subcommittee/Task Force Updates

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• CFC Future Items/Vision

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Approve Minutes

Colorado Fire Commission

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April 13^th, 2023

Nevada Energy Natural Disaster Protection plan

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Current Subcommittee�UPDATE

• Delegation of Authority Subcommittee

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• Prescribed Fire Subcommittee

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• Retention and Recruitment Subcommittee

Colorado Fire Commission

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Delegation of Authority Subcommittee

• Recap
• Current Status and Next Steps

Colorado Fire Commission

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Retention and Recruitment Subcommittee

Colorado Fire Commission

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Benefits Task Force

Colorado Fire Commission

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Colorado Volunteer Pensions Plans

Current Defined Benefit Plan

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Volunteer Plan State Matching Funds

What municipalities and fire districts are eligible for state matching funds?

• Communities under 100,000 population

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• Benefits under or equal to $300/month benefit
• State contributes 90% of what the department paid in the previous calendar year
• Based upon ½ mill on property assessment assuming 100% collection

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Volunteer Plan State Matching Funds

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Benefits provided greater than $300/month

• Subject to additional requirements including an actuarial study
• Limits the state funding to what the benefit would be at $300/month
• Takes into account $150/month short term disability funding
• Service accrual retirement benefit of $200/month
• Survivor benefit of $150/month

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• Source: C.R.S 31-30-1100

2022 State Funding

To plans managed by FPPA

• $2,760,296 *

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Source: FPPA 2022 CFAR page 31

10 years of Volunteers covered by FPPA managed plans

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Source:

2022 Colorado Fire, Police Pension Association Annual Comprehensive Report

Where we are now:

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Federal Heights Volunteer Plan

Source: FPPA annual reports

Where we are now:

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Grand Valley Volunteer Plan

Source FPPA annual reports

Where we are now:

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Kiowa Volunteer Plan

Source: GRS Actuarial Valuation as of January 1, 2021

Another Retirement Option

Length of Service Award Program for Volunteer Firefighters and EMS

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• Rewards individuals for the length of service they give to a community
• Annual contributions up to $6,000 of vested earnings into a qualified 457 plan

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• Can be either Defined Contribution or Defined Benefit options

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• Funded by the local agency based upon a customized formula based upon available funds
• Age
• Service

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LOSAP (cont)

• Rollovers limited to another LOSAP plan
• Not eligible for rollover to another employer plan
• Not eligible for rollover to an IRA

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• Not eligible for Colorado State Matching funds

Conclusion

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• The current DB plan option works for older volunteers.
• The current DB plan is not working for younger volunteers
• They don’t stay long enough to vest.

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Questions

1. Can State Matching Funds be used for LOSAP contributions?

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1. Should we explore a statewide volunteer DC plan?
1. Current volunteers that move departments their benefit moves with them.
2. Potentially rollover to other qualified plan

Marketing & Engagement Task Force

Colorado Fire Commission

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• Currently working on adding one stop shop website
• Conducting a statewide survey

Survey Options

Colorado Fire Commission

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*Magellan also quoted for 1,000 interviews and 2,000 interviews total pricing between $20k - $35k

Culture & Data Task Force

Colorado Fire Commission

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Waiting on survey results

Prescribed Fire Subcommittee

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• Subcommittee Status and Activities to Date

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• State Agency (DFPC and CSFS) Rx Fire Strategy
• Review Concept
• Short term goals
• Long term goals

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• What this means for the subcommittee and next steps

Colorado Fire Commission

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Federal Fire Commission

Colorado Fire Commission

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• 12 months of Commission work to produce reports
• 6 months of additional commitment (18 months total)
• Two reports: Aviation and Final Recommendations
• Aviation report February 1, 2023
• Final Recommendations September 15, 2023
• Operational Rules
• Agreements in Principle
• 100 percent consensus for AIP inclusion
• ⅔ final vote for final report approval
• Executive Summary and All work groups have closed out
• Final ad hoc work completed next week
• Deadline for voting on final AIP August 9th

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Federal Fire Commission

Colorado Fire Commission

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Conversations with The Moore Foundation

• Conversations originated through Federal Fire Commission
• Based upon the Cohesive Strategy model
• 4 states of interest (currently) Oregon, Washington, California and Colorado
• Interest in working with Colorado based upon current and future state
• 2 Pilot Programs and 2 Super Pilot Programs
• Science and technology focus
• 50 year vision on living with wildfire
• Accelerated time frame interests to prove value in the vision
• Watershed protection
• Response
• Fuels
• Communities
• Joint meeting with Moore Foundation, Gates Foundation, DFPC, CSFS, and DNR
• More to come

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Legislative Session Outcome

Colorado Fire Commission

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• SB23-161 Financing To Purchase Firefighting Aircraft (Passed)
• DFPC’s 2nd Firehawk
• Status update

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• SB23-013 Fire Investigations (Passed)
• Additional DFPC investigators & creates the fire investigation fund
• FTE breakdown
• Also has reimbursement money for supporting agencies
• Includes the data recommendation from CFC
• Status update

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• SB23-166 Establishment Of A Wildfire Resiliency Code Board (Passed)
• 24 members required to promulgate rules regarding the adoption of statewide codes & standards (21 voting, 3 non voting)
• Speaker of the House will appoint 4 members, President of the Senate will appoint 3 members, Executive Director will appoint 10 members, Minority Leader of the Senate will appoint 2 members, and Minority Leader of the House will appoint 2 members. The 3 non-voting members include: The director of the director’s designee, the state forester or the state forester’s designee; and the director of the Colorado Resiliency Office or the director’s designee.
• FTE: Code Board Administrator and Administrative Assistant
• Status update
• HB23-1273 Creation Of Wildfire Resilient Homes Grant Program (Passed)
• Allows homeowners to apply to receive a grant for retrofitting or improving a house/structure for hardening
• Manage through Community Risk Reduction Program
• Status update

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• Community Risk Reduction
• FTE breakdown
• Status update

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Other Legislative Items:

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• SB23-032 Wildfire Detection Technology Pilot Program (Did not pass)
• Center of Excellence to establish one or more remote camera technology pilot programs.
• Acquire or contract for a system of remote pan-tilt-zoom cameras and associated tools to provide a live feed of information that can detect, locate, and confirm ignition in the wildland-urban interface.

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• CFC Recommendation 21-02 (Did not pass)
• Enhance Firefighter readiness through expanded training and certification opportunities
• Status update

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Colorado Firefighting Air Corps Cash Fund

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Purpose of Fund:

The fund is used to support direct and indirect costs for the DFPC Aircraft Program and the Center of Excellence. The moneys in the fund are continuously appropriated.

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Fund Overview:

There’s $40.9M in spending planned over the next several years, leaving an estimated $12.6M for future costs.

Future anticipated costs include aviation equipment upgrades and replacements, aviation expenses in busy fire seasons, and dispatch center build-out.

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Colorado Firefighting Air Corps Cash Fund

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CFAC

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Include a dispatch center lease, Fire Hawk purchase costs, controlled maintenance for the state-owned hangar, and risk management insurance assessments.

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CFC Vision & Purpose

Colorado Fire Commission

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Article IV: Statutory Duties of Commission (Section 24-33.5-1233 CRS)

• Section 4.1: The Commission will develop an accurate understanding of Colorado’s fire problems, including the number of injuries and fatalities, overall fire losses, and the causes and origins of structural and wildland fires.
• 21-03 Implement a Data Driven Program to Reduce Risk and Strengthen Colorado’s Fire Service (Fire Investigations) SB23-013
• 20-05 Implement a Comprehensive Fire Data Collection and Dissemination Program (Same as 21-03) SB23-013
• Laying out the organizational framework and hiring top level positions, who will then help with the remainder of the hiring and developing requests for proposals on the fixed assets

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• Section 4.2: The Commission will review the current emergency fire fund program and provide recommendations to make it more inclusive of counties throughout the state.
• 20-04 Implement an Enhanced State Assistance Program SB21-049
• Provided $1.8 M in continuously appropriated State funds to bolster State Capacity to provide early detection, ground and aviation resources, technical support, and funding to Counties and Fire Departments to limit the size, duration, costs, and impacts of unwanted wildfires.
• Transfer existing $1.0 M in annual County Emergency Fire Fund contributions towards the Enhanced State Assistance program in combination with designated State Funds.
• Plan to meet with non-EFF Counties in 2024, with a goal of those entities providing an entry level of contributions to the Enhanced State Assistance program by CY 2025.

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Duties Continued…

• Section 4.3: The Commission will evaluate funding mechanisms for effective response to large fires, with consideration given to appropriate cost-share agreements, financial contributions, mitigation and preparedness, mutual aid participation, and local actions and plans.
• 20-03 Establish State Response (Large Fire Fund). SB21-227 - provided funding for the State Emergency Reserve.
• As of July 2023, we have funding for all types of disasters including wildfire, but do not have a specific fire fund.
• 20-04 Implement an Enhanced State Assistance Program. SB21-049 (Wildfire Stimulus package).
• Provided $1.8 M in continuously appropriated funds to bolster State Capacity to provide early detection, ground and aviation resources, technical support, and funding to Counties and Fire Departments to limit the size, duration, costs, and impacts of unwanted wildfires.
• Expanded historical uses of State Assistance funding beyond aviation and handcrews to cover pre-positioning of air and ground resources under a Preparedness Level concept.

Question to Commission members: do we resubmit the original, revise, or accept where this stands?

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• Section 4.4: The Commission will assess the capacity of the State to provide emergency fire support and technical expertise to local communities.

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• Section 4.5: The Commission will develop performance measures of overall response effectiveness and identify recommended improvement areas.

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Duties Continued…

• Section 4.6: The Commission will strengthen regional and statewide coordination of mutual aid resources and initial attack capabilities for fires and other hazards.
• 20-01 Implement the Colorado Coordinated Regional Mutual Aid System (CCRMAS) SB21-166
• DFPC hired a Unit Chief of Resource Coordination and 5 Resource Coordination Battalion Chiefs to obtain stakeholder input, educate and coordinate with local fire agencies, provide training and scenarios, etc.
• Have developed an interim resource status system (ClickUp), notification system (Signal), and Resource Order system (Google Sheets) until a permanent solution is developed. This has significantly improved the ability to identify and mobilize resources prior to and during the initial stages of escalating fire-related incidents.
• Have refined and implemented Wildfire Immediate Need (WIN) program as a foundational model for mobilizing all types of fire resources across the State under a critical need, surge concept.
• 20-02 Update Mutual Aid Statutes to Support the Colorado Coordinated Regional Mutual Aid System SB21-166
• Updated relevant portions of C.R.S. 29-5-105, 29-5-107, and 29-5-108 so that operational control and liability remain with the assisting agency rather than being transferred to the requesting agency. The changes are only applicable to fire-based agencies and do not affect law enforcement agencies.
• 21-01 Implement the Colorado State Fire Coordination Center to integrate 24/7 capability for dispatching Colorado’s firebased resources SB22-206
• DFPC has hired 10 year-round Fire Dispatcher and Fire Resource Specialist positions to support the existing interagency wildfire dispatch system, as well as year-round statewide mobilization of all fire resources when local resources have been exhausted. DFPC plans to hire the remaining positions (Deputy Center Managers and Lead Fire Dispatchers) this winter.
• Working with the Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service on the Rocky Mountain Area Dispatch Efficiency and consolidation project to increase capacity, standardize dispatch operations, and improve dispatcher recruitment and retention. Consolidation from the current 6 interagency dispatch centers to 3 will be based on the timeline of acquiring adequate facilities in Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, and Grand Junction.

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Duties Continued…

• Section 4.7: The Commission will develop best practice recommendations related to high-risk occupancies for consideration by local jurisdictions and communities, including recommendations related to minimum cooperative agreements and mutual aid resources.
• 21-04 Support the Statewide Community Risk Reduction Initiative SB23-214
• 22-01 Creation of a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Code Board SB23-166

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• Section 4.8: The Commission, in cooperation with the Colorado State Forest Service and other affected stakeholders, will develop and publish an assessment of fire treatment costs and cost distribution, including the costs of mitigation under emergent and non emergent circumstances, retreatment costs, and post-recovery costs.

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• Section 4.9: The Commission will develop methodical approaches to and recommendations on Colorado’s fire service concerns and issues.

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• Section 4.10: The Commission will forecast upcoming funding and resource challenges and trends that affect fire services and the ability of the State and of local jurisdictions to respond to fire and mitigate hazards in the short and long term.

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Something to think about…

• State Farm insurance is now exiting ("pausing new policies") the market in California. With the loss of State Farm, this will make CA be mostly without the #1, #2, and #4 insurers (this includes Allstate) in the state.

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• The importance of recent bills cannot be overstated
• HB23-1273 Creation Of Wildfire Resilient Homes Grant Program
• SB23-166 Establishment Of A Wildfire Resiliency Code Board

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We will have a presentation at our October meeting regarding insurance

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Vision

Colorado Fire Commission

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• What needs to still be done?

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• What should have been done?

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• How do we accomplish these tasks?

Committee Member�&�Organizational Updates

Colorado Fire Commission

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Public Comments

Colorado Fire Commission

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3 MINUTES PER PERSON

Action Items

Colorado Fire Commission

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Future Meetings

2023

• October 16th - Keystone

2024

• January 18th - Lakewood
• April 18th - Sterling
• July 18th - Need a Volunteer

Colorado Fire Commission

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