In The Community
COMMUNITY IMPACT
57.8
MILLION SQ FT MADE SAFER THROUGH FIRE INSPECTIONS
9,149
PEOPLE CONNECTED WITH AT COMMUNITY EVENTS
4,707
FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS INSPECTED
381
VISITORS TO FIRE STATIONS
5,565
PEOPLE ATTENDED A RISK REDUCTION COURSE
Community Health Program
CHP team’s success stories include:
Transitioning an elderly female with cerebral palsy, who was living in her car and refusing help, to an assisted living facility placement where she can receive specialized care.
Working with an elderly male Vietnam veteran who refused medical care and getting him to accept home health care services and meals.
Implementing a sustainable life for an elderly couple who was facing repeat falls, a cluttered home, and food scarcity.
The Community Health Program (CHP) was implemented in early 2024. PFA saw the need for a program that would focus on preventative care, in tandem with prioritized critical and/or crisis care. The program meets people where they are, to help outside of a crisis, allowing for individuals to better articulate and address their needs.
The CHP team consists of two EMTs, a behavioral/mental health clinician, and program manager. They focus on high utilizers of the 911 system as well as referrals from online crews. The CHP meets with clients to assess their individual situations, triage care, coordinate resources, and continue with them for a short period of time to ensure the client’s goals are met. The team works to improve the client’s quality of life through health education, proper medication, mental and behavior health assistance, food, shelter, and a host of other needs. They work diligently with community partners to allow for the most effective resourcing possible.
These relationships have created cross-referring, allowing the program to compliment rather than replace other programs, like those through Fort Collins Police Services, Outreach Fort Collins, and UCHealth.
CHP 2024 DATA POINTS
311
CLOSED CASES
17
OPEN CASES
9/11 Memorial at Spring Park
After years of collaboration, community-wide fundraising, and six months of construction, the 9/11 Memorial at Spring Park, behind Fire Station 3, opened on July 1. The site prominently features a 3,059 pound steel I-beam which was gifted to PFA in recognition of its response to the attacks. The beam was pulled from the World Trade Center wreckage and found its permanent resting place at the memorial.
The steel is surrounded by paving stones which represent the 343 firefighters who perished during the attacks, turf steps providing a place for reflection, and a larch tree. This tree was planted at the request of a firefighter, before the site was chosen for the memorial, and is a rare deciduous conifer that loses its needles in autumn and regrows them in spring – serving as a symbol of new life and resilience to any crisis or disaster.
Missouri Valley Division of Fire Chiefs Conference
PFA hosted the 35th Missouri Valley Division (MVD) Fire Chiefs Conference in June. The event welcomed 150 attendees and 40 vendors to the Fort Collins Marriott, which included opportunities for fire officer training as well. Fire service leaders and fire officer trainees joined from throughout the eight states in the MVD - Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
First Annual EMS Survivor Celebration Event
PFA and UCHealth partnered to hold the first annual EMS Survivors Celebration. Eight stories of people who survived medical emergencies were shared. From a young boy who fell from a second story window to a seasoned mountain biker who suffered a major cardiac event on the trail, their lives were saved thanks to the brave actions of community members who stepped up and the first responders (both on and off-duty) trained and ready to provide care.
First responders rarely learn the outcomes of those they help. This event connected survivors with the dispatchers, ambulance teams, and fire service crews responsible for their initial medical care. It was a special opportunity for all involved. The second annual EMS Survivor Celebration will be held on May 14, 2025.
18
OUT-OF-HOSPITAL CARDIAC ARREST SURVIVORS
