February 4, 2016 – 10:00am – 12:00pm

Agenda topics to discuss are: Fire Truck Insurance Claim, Pheromone Pouches, NRCS Forest Management Plan, Beetle Kill tree harvest, aspen clean-up work, mitigation plans for this summer.

Fire Committee Minutes | 10:00 am, February 4, 2016 at John and Tyra Barnes home.

Attendees: John and Tyra Barnes, Wayne Ross, Forrest Ketchin, Jack Zeman and Jerry Grandey participated via video chat.

The ZHA was informed that it had completed the 2015 annual Firewise Communities USA® renewal requirements! The committee recommends changing Fire Committee name to Firewise Committee.

Committee was informed that the ZHA received a Summons and Complaint initiated by the Alamosa County Fire Protection District to collect damages that occurred to the Fire tanker truck stored at The Nature Conservancy. Our Insurance Company had been informed of the damages and had been working with the ACFPD, TNC and Zapata Properties to dispute the claim of liability for the damages.

Fire protection ratings and individual property insurance questions: Instead of depending on the ACFPD, ISO and insurance company’s decisions, our community needs to continue moving forward on fire protection and create our own practical approaches for prevention and safety. Keep trying to work with Fire district as well. Ideas were discussed and the committee agreed to continue working on these areas…

Contact State Farm Insurance, a major sponsor of Firewise Communities and loss prevention programs of the NFPA, to see how they plan on working with communities that are Firewise Communities.

Complete work on 1 new trailer with water tanks and suppression foam and refurbish our existing trailer setting a goal of 2017 for completion. Tyra will call George Freeman to see if he is able to complete the new trailer otherwise we will get it operational. We may want an ATV for the community to haul the fire trailers but it might be better to have a few community members willing to use their ATV. Wayne Ross and John Barnes offered the use of their ATV’s.

Set goal for 2017 completion. John Barnes is willing to help get them in operating order. After trailers are operational, have a practice session with community members each spring and fall in conjunction with trailer maintenance sessions. Maybe a building that can hold a small fire brush truck or at least other fire suppression equipment.

Have Adam make recommendations, investigate foam equipment, such as backpack foam and any other firefighting equipment that would be of use for the community. Gather information for home owners. Example: If a home is threatened by fire, shut off propane at the propane tank, develop and complete and hold training sessions on an emergency evacuation plan with the help of Adam and CSFS.

Continue fuels mitigation efforts, promotion of Defensible Space, complete emergency exits.

An updated price list for Pheromone Pouches should be coming soon so we can finalize our order for this spring. Doug Fir pouches should be deployed in May and Ponderosa in June.