HomeMy WebLinkAboutDFPC Support Letter (1)
March 12, 2025
To the Colorado Department of Fire Prevention and Control,
On behalf of the Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners, I am writing to express our support
for the establishment of a DFPC Firehawk on the Western Slope. Our organization is committed to
collaborating with the Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC), counties and municipalities
and neighboring fire protection districts in this region to enhance wildfire response capabilities
regionally .
A DFPC Firehawk would uniquely protect the Western Slope and surrounding Colorado
jurisdictions, serving as a critical asset for our communities safety and resiliency in the face of
natural disasters. The Western Slope’s vibrant landscapes and communities are essential to the
state’s identity and economic vitality, making it imperative to invest in advanced wildfire protection
measures.
Our fire protection districts have made significant investments to strengthen regional safety. This
includes full-time fire protection staffing in both cities and rural areas, the development of
state-of-the-art wildfire training facilities, and the construction of a regional emergency dispatch
center.
The addition of a DFPC Firehawk on the Western Slope would further enhance these efforts by
enabling rapid deployment of water and fire crews to areas in need. This critical resource would
complement our existing investments, bolstering our capacity to protect our resort economy,
communities, and natural landscapes from the escalating threat of wildfires.
Thank you for considering this vital investment in wildfire prevention and response for the Western
Slope.
Sincerely,
Kelly McNicholas Kury
Chair
Pitkin County Commissioners
970-920-5200
pitkincounty.com
530 E Main St. Aspen, CO 81611