Timberline Co-Chief Roberts Allows HCFPD Firefighters to use CSFPD Computer

Timberline Co-Chief Ryan Roberts, and Chief of CSFPD sent an email on Thanksgiving to Timberline Firefighters, some of whom have already replied to Ryan with Thanksgiving - see below:

From: Ryan Roberts [mailto:ryan.roberts@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 26, 2009 10:05 PM
To: redacted (all of Timberline firefighters)
Subject: [TimberlineFire] Colorado Sierra computer use policy

 I have received several requests to use the new computer at Station 7 from High Country members. Per the IGA everybody has license to use each others equipment. We do not have a computer use policy in place at this time. Just use it, don’t abuse it. I believe we are all adults and know what is appropriate and what is not.

In a nutshell, it is there, go for it.

 Ryan Roberts

 Co-Chief

Timberline Fire Authority (Gilpin County)

“Timberline C-1″ “5760″

 Engineer/EMT

Nederland Fire Protection District

“5674″

HCFPD Friends and Family Plan Threatens Timberline Merger

The Timberline Merger is threatened, putting your lives and property at risk, agreed a number of firefighters from High Country and Colorado Sierra.

The HCFPD Board has placed a higher priority on paying their Friends and Family than providing the support the Timberline Merger requires to have the best possibility of success.  The Board has refused to contribute HCFPD’s “fair share” to the merger costs.  The Chairman of the Board, Paul Britton stated that ”“I can’t see spending $70,000 to get a merger done when we can operate under an IGA forever.”  When Colorado Sierra Chief, Ryan Roberts was told this his reaction was close to “like heck”. 

WHY?  Just look at the chart below - thanks to John Carder, with names added by the author for this great chart that says it all. 

HCFPD Adminnistrative Costs Skyrocket

To see the entire presentation Captain Carder presented, verbally, to the HCFPD Board click on the following: A Question of Fairness and Value Handout

HCFPD Firefighters Don’t Follow Policy

HCFPD Policy states: “Bunker gear and rubber boots are to be worn while on a structure fire scene.”  and ”Members not having PPE will not take a place on the truck…”

But, if you are on the BOD or a former Deputy Chief the rules don’t apply…

Click here to listen to the following HCFPD We Don’t Need to Follow Policy

Roger: OK, if its alright I’ll just meet you on scene

Gib: Yeah, we don’t need any gear for this one

If you are part of the Friends and Family network you can dress however you want…

Who me? I don't need any gear!

The MountainEar Reports on HCFPD Board Meeting

High Country fire fighters demand action

Here is a link to an excellent article about the meeting.
Click here to view the article at the Mountain Ear site!

Enjoy!

HCFPD May Get Name Change

November 23, 2009

It was overheard today that the High County Fire Department (HCFPD) may change their name to HCFFP.  It seems that some board members may be attracted to this name change because it is more reflective than the current name in defining the actual services the department is providing.

HCFFP makes sense, said one firefighter, when told about the potential name change.  HCFFP is an acronym for High Country Friends and Family Plan and seems to be more in line with decisions the board has recently made then providing actual fire department services to the public, stated the firefighter.  Another firefighter mentioned that if the board continues to make decisions such as they have, the new name would be great, since the board may soon find that they only have Friends and Family left to respond to calls.  One firefighter was disgusted with the thought of changing the name, stating that the board should change, not the name.

HCFPD Firefighters Blog-Hits Highest Day since 1st month

This blog had 340 hits Wednesday-November 21, the second highest day of activity since the blog was started.  The number one Post that was read was “HCFPD Computer Use Policy”, with “The Truth that Matters – Fourth Edition” second with only 20% of the number of hits for the Computer Policy Post.

In the last week the “Shelia Kambic Official Court Transcript of Sentencing” Post took top honors, with “My Opinion about the HCFPD Board of Directors” coming in a close second (just two views behind).  But, the week is not over yet!

If the HCFPD Board of Directors believes they are now able to hide their actions in meetings attended by a small part of the public they are sadly (for them), happy (for the rest of us) mistaken.

Visits to the Blog increased from all over the Country, with the highest concentrations of new visits coming from downtown Denver – think maybe some entities in Denver are now taking notice of what is going on up here in the back woods?  I hope so!

That is one of the reasons I started this Blog.  Special Districts are indeed “Special”. There is absolutely ZERO oversight by any agency in the Colorado Government that has the power to act on ANYTHING a Special District does, EVEN IF THE BOD BREAKS THE LAW, which this Board does on a regular basis. The ONLY recourse with regard to the BOD of a Special District acting inappropriatley, or violating the laws of the great State of Colorado,  is the right of the voters to recall those on the Board that are thumbing their nose at the public and the department the represent and serve.

HCFPD Computer Use Policy

Since the HCFPD Board of Directors does not seem to think the public deserves to see Policy approved by them in a timely manner, and as such do not produce copies to distribute to the public:

Here is the Computer Use Policy that was unanimously approved by the BOD without any opportunity for comment by the Command Staff or Fire Fighters or Public—gotta love it — your Board in Action.  HCFPD Computer Use Policy

Comments anyone?  Several Fire Fighters, including Captains, have indicated they will NOT sign this.  I will not sign this because:

It is too vague and open to arbitrary change by the Business Manger (who is a convicted criminal and has proven time and time again that she does not have the best interests of the members in mind through her actions).  It also violates HCFPD Policy by stating that questions should be directed to the Business Manager, which is contradictory to existing policy that members must go through their Captains.

Obviously this was not read and understood by the BOD before they voted on it, or it was understood and the Board’s intent was to put a policy in place that would allow them to discipline FF’s at their discretion.  This policy was also written by a Board member that, in the past used department computers to send unsolicited anti-abortion email to members and unsolicited religious propaganda to members.

This Policy will also has the unintended (or perhaps it was intended) effect of forcing members to use HCFPD computers to fill out the incident reports using only HCFPD computers – in other words members can no longer use their personal computers to access the Emergency Reporting system from the comfort of their home or office to file reports. 

The Policy seems to me one that has an underlying objective of preventing implementation of an extremely valuable “rip and run” report that would allow firefighters and EMS to respond quicker to incidents.  This “rip and run” report system was being developed because the Sheriff’s Department did not get the $5,000 requested in their 2010 budget that is needed to produce these “rip and run reports” directly from their Computer Aided Dispatch system.

The Policy does not give the Chief, who is the CEO of the department, any authority to provide exceptions to support department or member needs in fulfilling the OPERATIONAL requirements of the department.

Another great example of why the current HCFPD Board of Directors needs to be recalled or voted out of office at the next election.

HCFPD BOD Meeting Recording for November 19, 2009

Another episode in the continuing saga of “High Country Fire Department: The Board of Directors Meet” is brought to you in this post for your listening pleasure, or listening dismay.  To listen to the recording see the links at the end of this post.

The next “regular” Board meeting will be Monday, December 14^th at 7pm.
There will be a workshop on the budget on November 30^th at 7pm.  (I understand this conflicts with the TFA meeting so I guess TFA won’t be having a meeting-great job of scheduling).

To begin with Robb was absent because “he had to work”…

During public comment several people addressed the Board, and the Board did nothing more than acknowledge them to speak – this author did not even see one of them take notes on the important issues that were brought up by the public. And, they appeared to be “bored”, pardon the pun but it sooooo fits, to death with having to listen to those they serve.

Click on the Read More >> below to view the rest of this post and access the recordings

The Truth That Really Matters – Fourth Edition

And The Truth Goes Marching On. . .There is a saying that goes something like this…”We will never be able to see the light (truth) if everything is always kept in the darkness.”Nothing positive ever comes from making sure the truth stays buried.

Click the Read More>>> to read the rest of the truth

My Opinion about the HCFPD Board of Directors

In my humble opinion:

The current HCFPD Board of Directors is arrogant, condescending, supercilious, self righteous, haughty and only interested, not in what is best for the Fire Department and the public they serve –but simply interested in their own selfish interests, power and the benefits they can bestow on their friends and family. When “listening” to public comments they sit like bullfrogs on a lily, appearing to be more interested in catching flies than listening to what the public they serve has to say.  They exhibit very little respect to the Chief and Captains of the department, and zero respect for the firefighters that have volunteered to risk their lives to save yours! They also have little regard for the laws of the State of Colorado. Their good friend and attorney is paid tens of thousands of dollars a year to provide “legal” advice based on what he believes the Board wants to hear, not what the law mandates. When the Board’s attorney cannot cite law that supports the Board’s decisions he spends taxpayer dollars to ask other agencies assistance in finding dubious loopholes to support the Board’s desires.

It is time for a recall of the entire HCFPD Board of Directors.