Greetings,
The Hotchkiss Fire District was formed in 1952. It was known then as Delta County Fire Protection District #4. In 2025, to minimize confusion, we legally changed the name to Hotchkiss Fire District, one that everyone has called us for years. We maintain two stations: main station is in the Town of Hotchkiss; the other station is on Redlands Mesa. The district covers over 120 square miles and serves approximately 4,000 to 5,000 residents. During the daytime hours we can see an additional influx of citizens increasing to over 10,000 individuals working and visiting the district, with even more passing through on our highways.
We serve an area that is remarkably diverse, that has a high volume of traffic, railroads, mining, grasslands, forests, BLM properties, the Black Canyon, and residents of all kinds. All this draws in tourists, travelers coming and going, hikers and campers, rafters, hunters, fishermen and many more. We also host the main high school for North Fork Valley, adding many students and teachers. Most of our residents are retirees, with Delta County having more retirees per capita than any other County in the State.
In 2024 the Colorado Legislature (HB 24B-1001) lowered property taxes throughout the State. This is good for property owners and property investors throughout the State. But this drops revenues significantly for all Fire Districts across the State. In 2025 State and Federal Grants dried up. We used grants to buy and upgrade our equipment and to keep costs down for our public. With these losses of revenue, we have found ourselves struggling with inflation since COVID, just as you have. What used to cost us $4,000 dollars to equip a firefighter with protective apparel now costs us over $20,000 per firefighter. In the past we could buy a new truck or engine by having fundraisers and drives. However, the cost and technology that is required for a modern engine is now over $1.3 million dollars. A simple station will run over 3 million dollars. (Read more about House Bill 24B-1001)
The State Legislature is currently looking at mandating new rules for Fire Districts Statewide. They are implementing these requirements without any additional funding for our districts. They have already reduced our strapped income (House Bill 24B-1001) without any resources to keep up with inflation. Without a tax increase, this will take more of our resources away from our district budget, making it harder for us to serve our community.
Buying used equipment for fire fighters personal bunker gear is not done, due to the cancer-causing chemicals that become imbedded into the bunker gear and equipment. Often this equipment must be completely removed and replaced with new equipment. Firefighter’s bunker gear used to last up to 10 years but now it might need to be replaced within a few years, or even just one fire due to contaminants that can’t be removed. Each Bunker set is made to the size of the fire fighter, for safety reasons.
We do purchase used trucks and engines. Buying them from another agency that have already been miled out. We will usually end up adding another $5,000 to $10,000 dollars to the purchase price, updating, making repairs and modifications eating at our small budget. With our current level of revenue from taxes, we have very few alternatives, due to the inflated costs of new apparatus. (See Cost of Equipment)
Equipment and operation costs are increasing daily, as do the calls to serve our community. Our calls have increased in numbers and variety, along with our training needs. Our current level of training has increased our ability to successfully respond not only to fires, but to rescues, traffic accidents, extrications, search & rescue calls, swift-water rescue, hazardous material calls, wildland fires and medical calls (assisting our neighbors the North Fork EMS Health District).
Our 4.8 mil-levy previously brought in over $230,000 in revenue, but in 2025 it only provided $216,000 dollars, despite the number of new homes being built within the district. While we expect more revenue in 2026 due to increased value of property and new homes being added to the tax rolls, we will still fall short of the funds needed to operate. The present property taxes do not cover the inflation we are incurring for operations, equipment replacement and keeping our firefighters safe in their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Keeping our volunteer firefighters safe and protected as they meet newer hazards like batteries in vehicles and electronic equipment are adding to our training and equipment costs. Purchasing truck tires alone to replace those broken down by the heavy loads sitting on the fully equipped Engines and Trucks costs thousands of dollars per year. Repairing the trucks and engines and keeping them safe to operate continues eating into our small budget, costing more each year.
- We need to update over 25 radios at the cost of over $100,000.
- We need to replace our water rescue boats at the cost of over $15,000.
- We need to update ventilation fans, ladders, portable pumps and other equipment for over $50,000.
- We need to replace our fire boots costing nearly $30,000 and to purchase wildland boots for our people at an even higher cost (our people currently must buy their own).
The Hotchkiss Fire District has the best volunteer firefighters who have dedicated themselves to making our community safe. Most of them will spend over 100 hours a year in training, this will take time away from their families, friends and missing special events in each of our fire fighters lives. The Hotchkiss Fire District is committed to supplying them with the best training and equipment we can. The only reward they will receive is a thank you from the community and if they stay for over 20 years a $300 dollar a month pension. This fire district owes them so much more and it is paramount that we should support them in every way we can.
The Hotchkiss Fire District is asking our citizens for help by either increasing our mil-levy by 3.7 mil or a sales tax of .04 cent per One Hundred dollars spent.
With a mil-levy increase to 3.7 mil’s, we could see a stable budget, allowing us to know the amount of revenue we would receive each year. (An average home of $600,000 would see an increase of $14.00 a month.) This would make it easier to create and stay within our budget, while saving money for future projects. This also comes at a cost; we may need to approach the citizens again in a few short years for more money depending on inflation, decline in employment, decline in businesses, decline in growth, etc. However, with a larger Mil-Levy that will allow the District to grow with our community, this would help with ISO rates in the District, which can in return entice businesses and new homeowners to move into the area knowing the Fire District is stable. (What are ISO Ratings)
We hope that a sales tax of .04% will give us the margin to grow and be able to keep up with the higher costs that we are experiencing. It is unknown just how much a sales tax would generate for the district at this time. With a sales tax, it should grow with the influx of travelers, vacationers, the increase in citizens in the area and it would hopefully keep our mil-levy low. This would spread the costs across to everyone who makes a purchase in the district, rather than burdening the property owners with a higher tax rate. However, this could be unstable depending on the year, the weather, tourism, inflation and declining spending. This may not give us the gains we would need to keep from a shortfall in our budget again.
We do not have a crystal ball, if we did the question would be easy to solve. We believe our citizens and communities deserve the very best from us and we want to provide the best fire protection we can while creating a safer community. Without a resolution to this financial squeeze, we will not be able to maintain our capacity to respond to our community’s emergencies at the current level. Our responses to rescues, traffic accidents, extrications, search & rescue calls, swift-water rescue, hazard material calls, wildland fires, and medical calls will be made with equipment that is obsolete and failing. Poorly equipped firefighters, no matter how well trained and motivated, cannot perform at the level we currently do, and at the level we expect of ourselves, or the level the community expects of us. Continued loss of income every year will also affect homeowners’ ISO ratings, raise their insurance rates and possibly cause home and business owners to be unable to purchase fire insurance.
Please help us provide a safer and better place to live and to experience.
Thank you.
Hotchkiss Fire District Board