FLORENCE — The Florence Fire Protection District sent a cease and desist letter to the Florence Volunteer Fire Department on Nov. 12, saying the volunteer department can no longer use the district's facilities due to "potential legal issues."
The Florence Volunteer Fire Department was formed in 1890 and is one of the oldest volunteer departments in Colorado. At the request of the volunteers, the fire protection district was formed in 1953, which includes three fire stations in Florence, Penrose, and Rockvale.
The November cease and desist letter, sent by attorney Michelle Ferguson who represents the fire district, said the volunteers with the Florence Volunteer Fire Department must vacate station one and remove all of its equipment no later than Dec. 31. The letter said the volunteer department is misstating its affiliation with the district by using the district's address and phone number in state filings. The document said the two entities must have a clear and formal separation.
The Florence Volunteer Fire Department shares station one on Main Street with the fire district, though the district owns the building. News5 spoke with one district EMS employee who said they are concerned about the impact on the community if the volunteer fire department can no longer respond to calls. The employee said the two entities have always worked alongside each other to respond to calls no matter the affiliation.
The employee, who did not want to speak on camera for fear of losing their job, said forcing the volunteer department to remove their items would leave the fire protection district without things like tables, kitchen appliances, and exercise equipment. The employee said the Florence Fire Protection District would likely have to use taxpayer dollars to replace the essential items.
One spouse of a former volunteer firefighter said getting rid of the volunteer department means getting rid of its history. She said volunteers with the Florence Volunteer Fire Department respond to fire calls outside normal business hours, like weekends and holidays.
Florence Station One Fire Chief Bill Ritter said the district has dozens of volunteers who will continue to serve the area, but the volunteers with the Florence Volunteer Fire Department have to stop responding to calls.
News5 reached out to the law firm representing the fire district for an on-camera interview to talk about the decision. The law firm declined our request and sent a statement on behalf of the Florence Fire Protection District Board of Directors on Friday evening. The statement reads in part:
Approximately ten years ago, the Fire District and the separate non-profit corporations began discussing the need for clarifying the roles each of them played in providing emergency services to our communities. Ultimately, the Fire District determined that it was in the best interest of our communities for the Fire District to provide all of the firefighting and emergency medical services through one unified volunteer program run by the District. There are many reasons why doing so offers better protections for the District and the citizens we serve, and also for the volunteers who provide such emergency services. Our communities agreed with this approach and voted to fund the Fire District to provide emergency medical services in November 2021.
Because the non-profit corporation has continued to make representations about their role in the District’s operations, the Board felt it had no choice but to formally require the non-profit corporation to vacate the Fire District’s facility and to request they stop engaging in activities or making statements that confuse our communities into thinking they are being made by or carried out by the Fire District. As a Board, we believe in transparency with the communities we serve, and we could not in good conscience allow this situation to continue.
The next Florence Fire Protection District Board of Directors meeting is on Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. at Florence Fire Station 1 at 300 West Main Street in Florence.
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