NEDERLAND - The Nederland Fire Protection District (NFPD) Board of Directors met on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, to continue their discussion on an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between the Nederland and Timberline Fire Protection Districts to provide forest mitigation service to district residents.  

The IGA dictates that the NFPD and Timberline Fire Protection District (TFPD) are permitted to provide fire protection services within their district’s boundaries; the TFPD Board is empowered to hire fire mitigation employees; and that the NFPD Board has the authority to contract mitigation services. 

It reads: “[I]n order to increase efficiency and cost-effective use of taxpayer funds for both Districts, the Districts have discussed using the already established Timberline Mitigation program and adding Nederland Fire’s name alongside Timberline Fire.

“The Districts desire to establish an agreement that Timberline mitigation services will continue to operate as they currently do and, when needed, Nederland Fire will provide equipment and staff.”

Additionally, the IGA dictates that TFPD will remain responsible for the hiring of mitigation employees, as well as handling all disciplinary actions and employee terminations. TFPD will also be the entity responsible for amending or revising the scope of services for this collaborative program. 

The NFPD Board directed that the draft IGA be sent to the district’s lawyer before a final review and vote on approval. 

NFPD Fire Chief Charlie Schmidtmann presented his monthly report, which included a list of calls of significance occurring in the district since March 19. 

District medical personnel responded to three patients suffering chest pains, one in Gilpin County experiencing difficulty breathing, and a head injury at the Eldora ski area. Firefighters assisted with road closures and one rollover accident in Boulder Canyon, and attended to a car fire in the Caribou Village Shopping Center parking lot.

Schmidtmann reported that the local fire station has received several updates. With the hard work of Firefighter Max Schmidtmann, Captain Nick Faes, and NFPD Administrator Sherry Snyder, the upstairs painting has been completed, while backsplashes, counters, sinks, drains, faucets, and lighting were installed in the station’s kitchens.  

The station’s pool table was also donated to the Sugarloaf Fire Protection District for their annual Memorial Day Garage Sale. 

The Board also received updates from Schmidtmann regarding the training and development of NFPD volunteers, firefighters, and EMS. 

Wildland training was conducted, with Lieutenant Candidates Mandi and Scott Papich leading Wildland competency reviews and backcountry emergency training. 

Captain Glen Wheelock recently completed the Colorado state requirements to earn his proctor certification, taught a Orthopedic Injuries training, and, along with Captain Faes, is working towards becoming certified as a Live Fire Instructor.

Captain Conor Moran recertified the district’s EMS personnel, coordinated a Mass Casualty Incident training, and will attend the Texas State University’s Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) course in order to learn active shooter preparedness. 

Schmidtmann and the NFPD Board congratulated the graduates from this season’s Boulder County Firefighters Association Fire Academy. These are Grace Gude, Matt Ono, Ryder Jones, Mike Techentin, Max Schmidtmann, Adam Cotner; as well as Public Information Officer Eric Abramson, who went through academy for his Firefighter I recertification. 

The Board also joined Schmidtmann in welcoming the district’s new PRN Paramedics, Jason Blumen and Peter Moon. 

NFPD Fire Marshal Andrew Joslin’s monthly report was presented to the Board, which included updates on his current and upcoming projects. Joslin has been working with software First Due in order to integrate the Town’s fire hydrant data, and reported that he and Mandi Papich have been conducting water cistern inspections. 

Joslin’s report highlighted his continued work on drafting, with Nederland Town staff, amendments to synchronize the Town’s fire code with International Fire Code; collaborating with Boulder County Sheriff’s Office to update the district’s Geographic Information System data; and coordinating with CDOT on new Fire Danger signs. 

Snyder was also thanked in Joslin’s report for her work hosting the quarterly Boulder County Fire Marshals’ meeting at the Nederland fire station. The report also noted that Joslin will be attending Fire and Life Safety Educator courses. 

In relation to the Fire Marshal position, the Board voted to approve moving $30,000 in funds from their budget, previously allocated to a fire mitigation specialist, to permit Fire Marshal Joslin to work up to 40 hours a week, having previously only been permitted to work 31.5 hours. 

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, May 21, 2025, at 7 p.m. 

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