2/6/2007
The Wheat Ridge Fire Department may refuse to respond first to an Edgewater fire if an agreement has not been reached by Feb. 9.
The Edgewater Fire Department is currently trying to renegotiate the Intergovernmental Agreement with Wheat Ridge Fire Department, which expires on Feb. 9. This agreement allows Edgewater and Wheat Ridge to respond to any emergency fire calls in either city if the home-based fire department cannot respond first.
The two fire departments also are a part of a mutual aid intergovernmental agreement between many Denver Metro fire departments. The metro-wide IGA provides coverage to a city that cannot properly respond to an emergency within their area.
However, Wheat Ridge sent a 30-day notice to Edgewater, which they received on Jan. 9, that said Wheat Ridge was canceling the agreement between the two fire departments.
"We've been their initial responders," said Wheat Ridge Fire Chief, Jim Payne. "I don't know of another fire department that responds to another community for free. It's their responsibility to provide service and response to their citizens."
Wheat Ridge, who has about 110 volunteer firefighters, will continue to honor the metro-wide agreement, which says the Edgewater Fire Department must respond first to an emergency within their city and if they need additional assistance, Wheat Ridge will respond.
Payne said when Wheat Ridge responds to a fire in Edgewater that the Edgewater Fire Department has not initially assessed, his firefighters are going into the situation blindly.
"We know nothing about their city," said Payne. "We have no pre-plans for buildings. We can't talk to their police. There's a safety concern for firefighters.
"We're trying to help Edgewater as much as possible, but at some point they need to provide service to their citizens," Payne continued. "Our concerns are our firefighters and the citizens of Edgewater. If they need us, they can call and we'll come."
Ronalda Goodner, mayor of Edgewater since November 2005, said she didn't realize Wheat Ridge was thinking about canceling the IGA until she got the letter Jan. 9.
"We are protected now," said Goodner. "We are trying very hard to negotiate with Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District on the IGA. We do, however, have 53 other fire departments within the county. We are protected. That's the main thing I want to stress is that we are protected."
Goodner said before she became mayor, former Fire Chief Terry McBride, who stepped down from the fire chief position in January, informed her that the Edgewater Fire Department was thinking about joining the Wheat Ridge Fire District. She said for whatever reason over four years, a final decision had not been made.
In 2006, McBride, Payne and Goodner held a meeting to discuss the future of the two fire departments.
"I left it up to (McBride) to take care of it and bring me back more information," said Goodner. "I just went on good faith to show that 'yes, I am interested, the city of Edgewater is open to this and I understand you've been going through negotiations and no one has ever committed.'" YourHub.com attempted to contact Terry McBride for this story. He was unavailable for comment.
She also told McBride that she wanted to investigate all possibilities for the fire department, which includes about 20 volunteer firefighters.
"We have a problem with low membership (in the Edgewater Fire Department), which equals to poor response during regular hours, because most people work during the day," said Goodner. "I support my firefighters 100 percent," said Goodner. "I understand they all work full-time jobs and this is a volunteer position, and all the training they take on each year and what they give up. They are my heroes ."
After she called Jefferson County Dispatch to let them know she would be conducting a fire training drill and asked that Wheat Ridge, the closest responding city, not be called to the scene, the mayor pulled the fire alarm in Edgewater City Hall on Nov. 16, 2006, to test the response time of the Edgewater Fire Department. She said after she waited about 20 minutes for the Edgewater Fire Department to show up, she finally called Wheat Ridge to come and reset the alarm.
"No one showed up. I was not too pleased that no one showed up. But it proved a point that we absolutely needed to look at our coverage," said Goodner.
Goodner said the Edgewater Fire Department has been responding first to an emergency call more since the fire training drill.
Ian LaFarge, fire chief of Edgewater since January, and Goodner had a meeting scheduled on Feb. 6, after YourHub.com's deadline. The mayor also planned to meet with Payne and the Wheat Ridge Fire Department district board to further discuss the IGA agreement between Edgewater and Wheat Ridge on Feb. 7.
"It is my hope that we can come to a full agreement on the IGA," said Goodner.
If the two fire departments cannot reach an agreement, other options Edgewater include an IGA with a different fire department or paid staffing at the Edgewater fire station.
Goodner also says she and Ian LaFarge will continue to work together to find solutions.
"Chief LaFarge is more than willing to do whatever it takes to provide the answers," said Goodner."My main concern is the health and safety of my community. That's always what I look at."
The Wheat Ridge Fire Department may refuse to respond first to an Edgewater fire if an agreement has not been reached by Feb. 9.
The Edgewater Fire Department is currently trying to renegotiate the Intergovernmental Agreement with Wheat Ridge Fire Department, which expires on Feb. 9. This agreement allows Edgewater and Wheat Ridge to respond to any emergency fire calls in either city if the home-based fire department cannot respond first.
The two fire departments also are a part of a mutual aid intergovernmental agreement between many Denver Metro fire departments. The metro-wide IGA provides coverage to a city that cannot properly respond to an emergency within their area.
However, Wheat Ridge sent a 30-day notice to Edgewater, which they received on Jan. 9, that said Wheat Ridge was canceling the agreement between the two fire departments.
"We've been their initial responders," said Wheat Ridge Fire Chief, Jim Payne. "I don't know of another fire department that responds to another community for free. It's their responsibility to provide service and response to their citizens."
Wheat Ridge, who has about 110 volunteer firefighters, will continue to honor the metro-wide agreement, which says the Edgewater Fire Department must respond first to an emergency within their city and if they need additional assistance, Wheat Ridge will respond.
Payne said when Wheat Ridge responds to a fire in Edgewater that the Edgewater Fire Department has not initially assessed, his firefighters are going into the situation blindly.
"We know nothing about their city," said Payne. "We have no pre-plans for buildings. We can't talk to their police. There's a safety concern for firefighters.
"We're trying to help Edgewater as much as possible, but at some point they need to provide service to their citizens," Payne continued. "Our concerns are our firefighters and the citizens of Edgewater. If they need us, they can call and we'll come."
Ronalda Goodner, mayor of Edgewater since November 2005, said she didn't realize Wheat Ridge was thinking about canceling the IGA until she got the letter Jan. 9.
"We are protected now," said Goodner. "We are trying very hard to negotiate with Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District on the IGA. We do, however, have 53 other fire departments within the county. We are protected. That's the main thing I want to stress is that we are protected."
Goodner said before she became mayor, former Fire Chief Terry McBride, who stepped down from the fire chief position in January, informed her that the Edgewater Fire Department was thinking about joining the Wheat Ridge Fire District. She said for whatever reason over four years, a final decision had not been made.
In 2006, McBride, Payne and Goodner held a meeting to discuss the future of the two fire departments.
"I left it up to (McBride) to take care of it and bring me back more information," said Goodner. "I just went on good faith to show that 'yes, I am interested, the city of Edgewater is open to this and I understand you've been going through negotiations and no one has ever committed.'" YourHub.com attempted to contact Terry McBride for this story. He was unavailable for comment.
She also told McBride that she wanted to investigate all possibilities for the fire department, which includes about 20 volunteer firefighters.
"We have a problem with low membership (in the Edgewater Fire Department), which equals to poor response during regular hours, because most people work during the day," said Goodner. "I support my firefighters 100 percent," said Goodner. "I understand they all work full-time jobs and this is a volunteer position, and all the training they take on each year and what they give up. They are my heroes ."
After she called Jefferson County Dispatch to let them know she would be conducting a fire training drill and asked that Wheat Ridge, the closest responding city, not be called to the scene, the mayor pulled the fire alarm in Edgewater City Hall on Nov. 16, 2006, to test the response time of the Edgewater Fire Department. She said after she waited about 20 minutes for the Edgewater Fire Department to show up, she finally called Wheat Ridge to come and reset the alarm.
"No one showed up. I was not too pleased that no one showed up. But it proved a point that we absolutely needed to look at our coverage," said Goodner.
Goodner said the Edgewater Fire Department has been responding first to an emergency call more since the fire training drill.
Ian LaFarge, fire chief of Edgewater since January, and Goodner had a meeting scheduled on Feb. 6, after YourHub.com's deadline. The mayor also planned to meet with Payne and the Wheat Ridge Fire Department district board to further discuss the IGA agreement between Edgewater and Wheat Ridge on Feb. 7.
"It is my hope that we can come to a full agreement on the IGA," said Goodner.
If the two fire departments cannot reach an agreement, other options Edgewater include an IGA with a different fire department or paid staffing at the Edgewater fire station.
Goodner also says she and Ian LaFarge will continue to work together to find solutions.
"Chief LaFarge is more than willing to do whatever it takes to provide the answers," said Goodner."My main concern is the health and safety of my community. That's always what I look at."
