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Prompt. Skillful. Caring.
2019 Annual Report

Our Chief

A Note From The Fire Chief

Keeping traditions while embracing change.

Crews push new engines into the bay, bagpipes are played at ceremonies, and the helmet serves as the main symbol of the job. This is who we’ve been for a long time, but while we keep some things the same, we work hard to change others. Poudre Fire Authority (PFA) is responding to the demands of an evolving and growing community. Everything from our services to our technology is shifting alongside the needs of our service area. The increase in service demands, changes in the use of the 911 system, and growing population require a systematic and proactive response. We balance increased demands against the financial and personnel resources available. Through efficiencies and innovations, emergency medical cardiac arrest saves increased by 600 percent from 2017 to 2019 and we’re on the way to leading the nation.

Our Roving Alternative Medical Unit (RAM) responds to lower-level emergency medical calls (the majority of our incidents) and relieves the system by keeping a fire engine and crew available for larger emergencies. It is imperative that PFA continues to embrace change. I hope this report illustrates some of the innovations we’ve already put in place and those that are on their way.

– Fire Chief Tom DeMint

Firefighters helping at an accident scene

PFA is Governed by a Board of Directors

The Board is comprised of two members from Fort Collins City Council, two members from the PVFPD Board of Directors, and a fifth member selected by the other four, historically the Fort Collins City Manager. The PFA Board of Directors appoints the Fire Chief, who in turn manages and employs all personnel of the Authority.

The PFA Structure
Firefighter training to climb a building
Firefighter training with their gear

WE ARE COMPRISED OF

217

Full-time positions

UNIFORMED EMPLOYEES

190
91%

Male

9%

Female

CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES

27
41%

Male

59%

Female

PFA Provides Many Services to the Community Including:

  • Firefighter protection hose icon Fire protection services
  • Emergency medical service suitcase with plus icon Emergency medical services
  • Fire suppresion sprinkler icon Fire suppression
  • Hazardous material mask icon Hazardous materials response
  • Emergency response 911 mobile phone icon Emergency response
  • Technical rescue response stretcher icon Technical rescue response (water, ice, rope, confined space and trench rescues)
  • Wildland fire pine tree icon Wildland fire response
  • Volunteer person icon Volunteer firefighter program
  • Fire investigations sheild icon Fire investigations
  • Inspection services icon Inspection services
  • Public education chat bubble icon Public affairs and education
  • Technical services hand radio icon Technical services

2019 Budget & Funding Outcomes

Funding Critical Services

PFA, as a separate governmental entity, receives the majority of its revenue from a combination of sales/use taxes and property taxes from the City of Fort Collins equating to $28,612,142 in 2019, and 100% of the PVFPD’s mill levy (10.595 mills) equating to $6,805,653 in 2019.

PFA thanks voters within the PFA service area for their support.

Revenue Breakdown $37,663,145

97.12%

Intergovernmental $36,578,725

2.1%

Fees and Charges for Service $789,253

0.36%

Licenses and Permits $134,358

0.23%

Earnings on Investments $86,109

0.20%

Miscellaneous Revenue $74,700

Operating Budget by Expenditure $34,221,077

Salaries & Benefits 86.64%
Other Purchased Services 6.61%
Materials, Supplies, & Equipment 5.74%
Other Purchased Services 1.01%

Operating Budget by Division $34,221,077

Operations 66.99%
Support 16.28%
Community Safety Service 8.67%
Administration 7.81%
Grants/Projects 0.25%

Capital Budget Breakdown
$3,014,636

Apparatus Replacement 48.86%
Burn Building 15.38%
Computer/Technology Replacment 12.09%
Facilities Maintenance 10.22%
Major Station Remodel 4.98%
Radio Replacement 3.32%
Staff Vehicle Replacement 2.72%
Thermal Impager Replacement 0.83%
EMS Equipment Replacement 0.66%
Hose Replacement 0.54%
Rescue Tools Replacement 0.41%

Reserves

Reserves icon of a bank bag and change
$10,000,000

25% OF THE OPERATING BUDGET

Budget Expenditures Underspent by

Expenditure icon of a calculator
$1,500,000

4.2% OF THE BUDGET

Budget Report

What We Protect

Estimated population of PFA’s jurisdiction

212,931

Square miles of service area

230

Value of property protected

$41+ Billon
Service area map

PFA RESPONSE AREA
IN GREY

Fire station key icon Fire Stations
Training center key icon Training Center
Admin building key icon Admin. Building
Large quote mark at start of quote

If it weren’t for you no one would be here to answer your phone call right now.

Cardiac Arrest Survivor

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More People Are Surviving

We know even more people could be saved.

People survive cardiac arrests when agencies and the community work together. We lean heavily on our many partners that help make each of these saves possible and we need the help of community members too. Refer to the back page to learn how you can help.

The cardiac arrests used for this data were due to a medical condition, rather than a traumatic event like a car accident.

Cardiac arrest chart of survivors increasing over 3 year period
EMS photo of filling a shot
EMS photo of AED equipment
EMS practice team traing on CPR manikin

World-class emergency care

This means improved patient care, decreased patient suffering and improved survivability within our jurisdiction.

Jurisdiction-wide changes by PFA’s EMS Battalion and Agency Partners include:

Icon of 911 and phone

Revamped training

Icon of emercency light

Refined medical protocols

Icon of AED equipment

Standardized medical equipment and protocols

EMS System is Built on Five Pillars

Infograhic of the PFA five pillars

Looking Forward

PFA is making countless improvements to processes and technologies to help protect lives and property.

Some technology and process improvements include:

  • New computer-aided dispatch enhancements which incorporate real-time GIS into the dispatch system.
  • Station alerting enhancements that could improve response times.
  • Regionalization of fleet services to leverage resources, address a service gap, and improve fleet reliability.
  • Predictive analytic and system design software to allow for better emergency system design and deployment processes based on the COVID-19 pandemic response.

What’s after the COVID-19 event?

PFA and the world will be processing the pandemic and the aftermath of stay-at-home orders for months if not years. Our top priority was to keep our responders healthy so they could continue to help protect the community. PFA ensured high-quality emergency medical responses to people in our region impacted by this unprecedented event.

Partnerships with UCHealth and Intergovernmental Agreements with nine emergency service districts within the Northern Larimer County Emergency Response Area, enabled PFA to serve as a resource for best practices and timely information. An in depth After Action Review will provide new direction, procedures and processes based on the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Pulse point logo

Help more people survive their cardiac arrest and have a real time PFA incident log by downloading the PulsePoint app.

Button link to get the Pulse Point App

The lifesaving app will notify you when someone needs CPR within a quarter of a mile of your current location. Join the more than 10,000 people that are already using it. It will walk you through CPR, how to use an AED and even show you the AED closest to you.

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