Welcome to my web page for the Elk Creek Fire Protection District community…
- The skilled firefighter/EMT personnel who are committed to serving our community,
- A rewarding workplace for our firefighter/EMT professionals, both volunteer and paid, and
- A sound, well-managed financial position made possible only by sustained community engagement.
Our Challenge – Experience has shown that Elk Creek FPD will need to continue its current, aggressive program for recruitment of firefighter/EMT personnel as emergency calls continue to increase slightly with time and as local wildfire hazards continue to be problematic.
Solution-oriented Policies Required – Only through a clear understanding of the mission-critical needs of the fire district, drawn from the day-to-day operational experience of the firefighter/EMT in the field, coupled to a committed, community-oriented management practice by senior leadership at the fire district will all residents be able to thrive. That is why I continue to advocate that fire district leadership focus on identified needs that are mission-critical including: Skilled volunteer and paid personnel; essential capital equipment, facilities, and new construction only when the need is demonstrated; and service programs that are sustainably supported by the community.
ELK CREEK FPD INFORMATION
ESTIMATED COST OF THE RECENT CONSOLIDATION EFFORT: After submitting 26 CORA (Colorado Open Records Act) Requests to the three fire districts as well as to Jefferson, Park, and Douglas Counties, we have finally been able to complete a report—which can be found here—with respect to the direct cost to taxpayers for the efforts to consolidate / merge the fire districts. Importantly, our estimate reveals that the consolidation / merger effort cost the taxpayers of Jefferson, Park, and Douglas Counties as well as the State of Colorado taxpayers at least $343,000—more than the cost of a brand-new, fully equipped ambulance.
CONSOLIDATION/MERGER BALLOT MEASURES VOTED DOWN: As you know, measures that were referred to the fall ballot that would have consolidated/merged the Elk Creek, Inter-Canyon, and North Fork FPDs and raised the property tax-rate to 16 mills were defeated by Elk Creek FPD voters during the November 7th election, the ballot measure to preserve the 2.5 mills of the levy that was due to sunset was approved. I opposed the former but supported the latter.
My opposition to the consolidation / merger ballot measures was extremely unpopular with fellow board members, members of the local firefighters union, and certain local provocateurs. As a result, Elk Creek FPD Directors Greg Pixley, Dominique Deveney, Melissa Baker, & Sharon Woods—in an act of revenge—voted a resolution of censure against me (using unfounded allegations), see details of the resolution here and, considering the motivation behind their actions, I will forever wear their resolution as a Badge of Honor. If you have questions and/or concerns about any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact me by telephone at: (720) 260-9212 (mobile) or via email at: cnewby@elkcreekfire.org
MEETINGS: Elk Creek Board of Directors & Pension Board of Trustees Meeting dates have been changed such that, respectively, Board of Directors Meetings are now held on the 4th Thursday of the month beginning a 6pm at Station #1 (please see map) and Pension Board of Trustees Meetings are held the 2nd Thursday quarterly in January, April, July, & October only via Zoom. The Zoom remote meeting option can be accessed here: Elk Creek FPD Board of Directors Meeting via Zoom Meeting ID: 813 3590 3811
RELATED DOCUMENTS:
— ECFPD Board of Directors Meeting Packet 4/25/2024
— ECFPD Pension Board of Trustees Meeting Packet 4/11/2024
— ECFPD Board of Directors Meeting Packet 2/22/2024
— ECFPD Board of Directors Meeting Packet 1/25/2024
— ECFPD Adopted Budget 2023
— ECFPD Audited Financials 2022
CONTACT ME: If you have questions related to the Fire District services or policies, please do not hestitate to reach out to me either via my official email: cnewby@elkcreekfire.org using my private email: cnewby.co@gmail.com or telephone me: (720) 260-9212.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Broad organizational experience shows that grass-roots level community engagment is essential to a high-performing, rural fire protection district comprised volunteer and paid staff. Some important advantages that come from robust community engagement are:
– Better identification of the community’s values, needs, & ideas.
– More informed community members regarding important issues.
– Improved decision-making, more impact & better outcomes.
– More community buy-in & support, much less contentiousness.
– Faster decision/project implementation, less need to revisit issues.
As we consider the long-term future for Elk Creek FPD, I believe that genuine, sustained community engagement is essential. Please join me in conversation by via email by expressing your values, needs, ideas, & recommendations for how the fire district can best serve the community going forward at: cnewby.co@gmail.com (I will keep these communications strictly confidential).
WILDFIRE HAZARD RESOURCES:
— Neighborhood Wildfire Risk: Community Wildfire Protection Plan
— Community Wildfire Risk Reduction: Wildfire Mitigation Resources
— Wildfire Risk Reduction for the Neighborhood: Firewise USA®
PROGRAMS:
— Home Assessment: Wildfire Prepared Home Assessment Program
— Property Mitigation: Neighborhood Chipping Program
— Help in Your Neighborhood: Community Ambassador Program
ELK CREEK FPD STATION 1
11993 Blackfoot RD, Conifer CO 80433
– at US-285 Richmond Hill exit –
About Me:
In the fall of 1998, my family and I moved to Valley-Hi after my career took me to the Denver Technology Center where I worked as an R&D engineering executive for several Fortune 100 satellite and cable television technology companies including PrimeStar (now DirecTV), AT&T Broadband, and others. As an electrical engineer specializing in the design of communication systems, I have spent a career practicing the art of using teamwork to solve complex systems problems — technically, logistically, and financially.
Additionally, I have operated my own engineering consultancy in Colorado for more than twenty years. I am a veteran of the U.S. Army having served at Camp Page in the Republic of Korea with the U.S. 8th Army, 1st/42nd Field Artillery Battalion as the leader of a nuclear weapons detachment from 1971-1972. I am also dedicated to family, having been married to the same lovely woman for almost fifty years. Joanne and I have three wonderful children and four delightful grandchildren, who live in Colorado and Australia.
If you would like to learn more about my education, work career, and get a sense of the technology teams with which I have been fortunate to have been involved, please see the following resume, which resides at my consultancy website: resume
AFFILIATIONS
Elk Creek FPD
Telecommunications Engineering
San Diego State University
U.S. Army Field Artillery
United Steel Workers of America
Copyright © C.F. Newby registered agent 2022 – 2024. All rights reserved.