NEDERLAND — The Nederland Fire Protection District’s (NFPD) months-long search for a new location to train their personnel may have come to an end.

After discussions to share Town-owned land have resulted in a letter of support from the Board of Trustees (BOT) for grant pursuits, the possibility of a perfect new spot has been raised—just not where originally expected. 

Fire Chief Charlie Schmidtmann and Captain Conor Moran began discussions with Nederland’s Town Manager Jonathan Cain back in November, as the construction of the new childcare center on the Town-owned lot at West 5th Street impeded the NFPD’s ability to train with water-spraying apparatus. 

At that time, Schmidtmann requested the use of space at the Town’s Public Works Yard on Ridge Road, not just to resume water training, but to hold larger-scale training sessions, which would include the use of a “burn building” for active fire practice with hoses and ladders. 

During a meeting of the BOT on March 17, Cain introduced the proposal to Trustees, during which he specified that, despite the yard being “heavily utilized” and having limited available space, the Town recommends working collaboratively with the NFPD to develop a solution. 

Both the Longmont and Boulder “burn buildings” have been closed for training due to safety concerns, mainly extreme structural damage caused by constant exposure to intense heat, as well as the “misapplication of fire,” according to Boulder Fire Rescue Deputy Fire Chief Jared Ginsberg. 

Ginsberg has also stated the cost of a new burn building for Boulder would be over $2 million, and repairs to the existing building would most likely exceed that amount. It was assumed that Boulder may be considering such cost-effective measures as using modular buildings like shipping containers to construct a burn building.  

But with those existing training centers being inoperative, local fire crews can only utilize Boulder County’s two “burn trailers” for live fire training. These are located down the hill and in the Sugar Loaf Fire Protection District. Schmidtmann explained the complications of having to use training facilities down the hill, putting responders an hour away at minimum—not ideal for emergency situations back home. 

In Schmidtmann’s survey of the Public Works Yard with Streets Department Manager Joshua Davis and Parks Department Manager Nicki Dunn, two potential locations have been identified.  

Trustees approved a draft letter indicating the Town’s support and willingness to accommodate the District’s request for a “burn building” training facility to be constructed at the yard, on Town-owned property. The letter is intended to be included on grant applications to support the NFPD in their search for funding opportunities for this project.

Next steps include drafting and implementing an intergovernmental agreement between the Town and NFPD, according to Cain.

The following day, on March 18, Schmidtmann detailed the matter in his report delivered during the monthly meeting of the NFPD Board of Directors. The update presented a major change from what was discussed with the BOT the day before.

After detailing to the Board how there was really only one viable spot at the Public Works Yard—which did not provide the space that the NFPD was hoping for—Schmidtmann stated how they may have sourced a new location, privately owned by someone “pro fire department,” who could possibly subdivide a few of his acres to the NFPD. 

“There is the possibility we would be able to purchase a couple of acres, and then we could really control our destiny,” Schmidtmann said to the Board.

Though the address of the specific property in question was not discussed, the Board did ask about the logistics, not only of the District purchasing the 40 acres of land, but of what mitigation on the land would be necessary, and what easements or negotiations would be required for access to that land.

Schmidtmann stated land work would be required regardless of where the District chooses to construct their training space. As much work was required on the privately-owned land as the Town-owned property, if not somewhat less.    

“If that’s our only option, we’ll make it work,” Schmidtmann said about the space available to them on Town land. “But what we’re trying to do is to be able to grow into this and have it not be an obstruction to public works.”

40 acres would provide the ability for a water tank to be installed at the training space to allow for pump testing, and bring better training opportunities at a lesser cost, as Schmidtmann described to the Board.

Additionally, a burn building and tower could be constructed, which would allow for ladder and stair training, rapelling training, and search and rescue training. 

Schmidtmann also specified how the District may pursue constructing a training tower out of shipping containers, as the total cost would come far below that of a traditional tower. Traditional towers require at least $50,000 for the foundation alone. 

The NFPD Board will be updated as the matter with the unnamed private property owner moves closer to being formalized, and the District’s search for grant opportunities continues. 

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, April 15, at 7 p.m. 

For more information, go to nfpd.org.