Cimarron Hills Fire Protection District Ballot Measure Survey |
Survey Introduction
In November 2024, the Cimarron Hills Fire Protection District referred ballot measure 6A to district voters. This ballot measure would have implemented a 1% sales tax on all eligible sales within district boundaries. 6,737 people voted on 6A. Ballot Issue 6A failed by 531 votes. Please assist the Cimarron Hills Fire Protection District by taking this 14-question survey to help your fire department plan and address our community’s needs.
How did we get here?
We are a Community Centered FAMILY Department. This means when we sit down at the table to discuss our department budget, we are thinking about YOUR budget too. In 2019, facing a revenue crunch and inflation, we had come to terms with turning fire/medical services over to the Colorado Springs Fire Department via contract. But, the most amazing thing happened when they suddenly pulled out of the agreement in September, and property values unexpectedly rose. The Cimarron Hills Fire department not only sustained, but grew out of a vision to find new ways to source revenue, provide critical experience for our firefighters, and meet the needs of our diverse and growing community.
In the last 5 years:
- Full time line staffing has doubled from 4-8 Firefighter/EMS responders per day
- An EMS/Ambulance program was implemented, shifting away from a long-time 3rd party, ensuring timely response for transport
- A wildland deployment program was implemented, providing invaluable experience for our firefighters, and bringing in additional revenue that has already funded an ambulance and critical firefighting equipment
What are our challenges today?
- The population in our community continues to grow, both residentially and commercially
- Call volume continues to increase
- Back-to-back and overlapping calls have reached critical levels at 30% - resulting in a dependence on mutual aid, which is unsustainable as our mutual aid partners are facing similar challenges.
- Addressing these challenges will require strategic planning, investment in staffing, and exploring innovative solutions to ensure the safety and well-being of our growing community.