Evergreen hiring full-time firefighters for first time in the Colorado mountain town's history
For decades, a fire department in one Colorado mountain town has been staffed almost entirely by volunteers. But that's about to change.
Evergreen is growing every year, according to longtime residents.
"(It's) too big," Kate Wellington joked. "It used to be one stoplight."
She's lived in the area for around 30 years and has seen the mountain towns around the Denver metro area explode in population as the suburbs of the city start to sprawl outward.
"There's just so many tourists that come up as well, and so Bear Creek- all the roads around here are a little dicey," she said.
The Evergreen Fire Protection District has primarily been staffed by over 100 volunteer firefighters for decades. But now, additional help is coming. The department was approved to explore the hiring of six full-time firefighters.
"We've proven that we're a progressive fire department, that we are responsible with taxpayers money," said Einear Jensen, spokesman for Evergreen Fire Rescue. "That they make an investment in us and we want to return that investment to our taxpayers."
The positions will be paid, initially, with a backfill fund that is being buoyed by state funds. Over time, elements of property tax revenue and grants will help offset the salary expenses in Evergreen's budget. While there was initial concern that the full-timers would replace volunteers, Jensen explained to CBS News Colorado that that is a misconception. In reality, EFR is looking for more volunteers to bolster their force.
"The missing piece component is getting our apparatus on the road as quickly as we can get our volunteers on the road," he said. "And by having firefighters at the station 24/7 that will help get those apparatus on the road, that will help with the first out call."
In the past, volunteers could quickly arrive first on scene in emergencies. But if they want to access an engine or ladder, they have to go to one of the Evergreen stations and then head out. The full-time firefighters would be split over three shifts and be able to immediately fan out to the scene on engines and other specialty vehicles.
Of all emergency calls the agency receives, 74% come within what's defined as the core of Evergreen. But the bigger concern is residents living in the outlying areas where response times can be slower if a volunteer has to go to the station first. The goal, according to Jensen, is to have both groups work in tandem to help the community.
"They're overworked and understaffed so yeah," Wellington said. "I approve. The response time will I think be a lot faster."
While community messaging was initially mixed, Jensen said that the goal is to augment their recruitment. Some volunteers believe that the full-timers might devalue the usefulness of current volunteer firefighters and that paramedics -- who are full-time in Evergreen -- could be cross-trained.
EFR Board Director Julie Ann Courim argued at a June 18 meeting that decreased response times could lead to a higher ISO rating, which is used by insurance agencies to calculate premiums for the town the department serves. The hope is that a more well-staffed fire department can help homeowners down the line. Jensen said that the measure is preventative instead of reactive.
"Instead of waiting for that one big bad day to occur, we're being more progressive," Jensen said.
