“That person is very lucky to be alive. I don’t know how they did it, but he threaded the needle between the boulder and the jersey barrier and went off and down into the creek.””

Fire Chief Charlie Schmidtmann

NEDERLAND - The Nederland Fire Protection District (NFPD) Board of Directors met on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, to vote on the final draft of an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Timberline Fire Protection District (TFPD) to provide mitigation services to area residents.

The IGA, drafted by the attorneys for each District, states that the TFPD’s established Mitigation/Wildfire Safety and Prevention Program will be made available to Nederland residents through the NFPD, in exchange for the NFPD providing Timberline with equipment and personnel as needed. 

While the TFPD remains solely responsible for operational authority and management of the mitigation project, the NFPD is authorized to provide and purchase equipment to be used by Timberline that will remain owned by Nederland.

“Residents within the NFPD jurisdictional boundaries that seek Mitigation Services shall contact NFPD, which will coordinate with TFPD to provide the services,” the IGA reads.

“TFPD shall require that any property owner requesting Mitigation Services releases and indemnifies both NFPD and TFPD from any loss, damage, or liability arising out of or related to the performance of the Mitigation Services.” 

The Board voted to approve the IGA; the document will go before the TFPD Board of Directors for their official signature of approval. 

Chief’s report

NFPD Fire Chief Charlie Schmidtmann presented the Board with his monthly report and began by detailing the calls of significance that have occurred since May 21.

Firefighters and medical personnel responded to a patient who walked in to the Nederland fire station with a dislocated shoulder, delivered oxygen to a Big Springs resident, and assisted a traveler on the Peak to Peak Highway who was vomiting blood.

The driver of a car that was over 50% submerged in Middle Boulder Creek off Boulder Canyon Road was rescued by firefighters. The car went off the road in “The Narrows” of the canyon, just outside the District, and was found almost 12 hours after it had crashed.

“That person is very lucky to be alive,” Schmidtmann said about the survivor. “I don’t know how they did it, but he threaded the needle between the boulder and the jersey barrier and went off and down into the creek.”

Schmidtmann described to the Board how the car had landed in a blind spot, and how responders had to rely on local rock climbers to point the way to the car, whose driver had been trapped from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. 

“The climbers, when standing in the parking lot, didn’t see it, but then went climbing on the other side of the creek, looked down and could see the guy in his car waving an ice scraper,” said Schmidtmann.

The man was treated on scene and was found to have suffered no injuries. 

Additionally, an injured skier was evacuated from Skywalker Couloir, and a hazmat call to a pond off 4th of July Road resulted in a mysterious blue liquid being identified as pond dye for algae control, administered by a local resident. 

Schmidtmann reported the work being done on the District’s equipment and vehicles, as well as the upgrades to the fire station, including improvements to their workout room, conversion to LED lighting, and the completion of necessary yard maintenance. 

New vehicles

The District is awaiting the completion of several new vehicles, including a new fire engine being built in Florida which required Schmidtmann’s intervention in person to address several issues.

Schmidtmann, along with other NFPD personnel, also flew to Ohio to inspect the District’s ambulance. After some issues were resolved, the ambulance was delivered to Dacono, Colorado, where it is getting graphics installed. 

Recent training

The training conducted and taught by NFPD firefighters was also reviewed. Captain Conor Moran taught a structure fire course; Captain Glen Wheelock taught swift water response; Captain Nick Faes taught a diabetic emergencies training; and Lieutenants Bobby Swanson and Mandi Papich, along with Firefighter Larissa Briscombe, all attended a backcountry rescue class with Timberline Fire.

EMS

The Board was presented with an update on the District’s EMS work.

 EMS personnel worked to implement the Handtevy pediatric assistance app, which included training sessions and the use of associated QR codes.

They also began preparations for the new ambulance, organized outreach for the rollout of a File Of Life program, and planned coordination with the Nederland Food Pantry to administer information on local fire bans. 

Fire Marshal’s report

The Board heard an update from Fire Marshal Andrew Joslin regarding several projects, including an update to the Town of Nederland’s Fire Code, which is set to have a final draft come before the Board in July. 

Joslin’s report stated that he and District Administrator Sherry Snyder are working on a visual display of the NFPD’s history, which will feature historic articles, documents, and antiques to be presented at the Nederland fire station. 

Resolution approval 

Schmidtmann also discussed with Directors Resolution 2025-04, which involves the District’s adherence to Colorado state law regarding their requirement to provide firefighters with certain heart and circulatory malfunction benefits.

Approval of the resolution officially enters the NFPD into a trust agreement for the Colorado Firefighter Heart, Cancer, and Behavioral Health Benefits Trust. Schmidtmann noted that, due to available reimbursement from the state, the District will save $1,500 a year and gain additional coverage not previously available to Nederland firefighters, including cancer coverage, for going with the state plan.

The Board voted unanimously to approve Resolution 2025-04.  

The Nederland Fire Protection District Board of Directors meets on the third Wednesday of every month. Meetings can be attended online via Microsoft Teams. Their next meeting will be on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at 7 p.m. 

For more information go to: https://www.nfpd.org.