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Fiscal Year 2024 funding:

CCFA is primarily funded through a 4.569 mill levy collected in the unincorporated areas of the county. Each municipality within the authority provides at least the same level of funding to CCFA. The authority also has revenue from contract services and grants. The authority’s mill levy was set in 1989 when the county’s fire service was fully staffed by volunteers.

The district’s FY2024 operating deficit is $940,000. CCFA has used its $5.5 million cash reserves since 2021 to address annual budget shortfalls. The cash reserve is mandated

by state law for emergency expenses such as a significant wildfire or other natural disaster. Without new revenue

or changes in staffing and service levels, the authority’s reserve will be exhausted by FY2029—just four years from now. Depleting the authority’s reserve will force significant reductions in service delivery.

The authority’s funding shortfall is caused by several factors:

  • Reductions at the Henderson Mine. The mine has been the primary source of property tax revenue for CCFA and other county services for more than 50 years.

  • Transition to paid firefighters. Since 2016, the authority has begun adding paid firefighters as volunteer staffing has become less viable for the staffing needs of the agency.

  • Wildfire risk. Increasing risk has required CCFA to bring on additional equipment and to hire a seasonal mitigation crew to help reduce wildfire fuels.

Ongoing operational challenges:

In 2023, Clear Creek County, Empire, Georgetown, Idaho Springs and Silver Plume began working together to address CCFA’s funding. That work included commissioning MissionCIT, an independent consulting firm, to conduct an organizational assessment of CCFA. According to the report, CCFA is facing several significant challenges that impact current and future operations and finances. Without additional revenue, staffing and facilities, the following factors, according to MissionCIT, will cause CCFA to be insolvent in 10 years or less:

  • Declining or stagnant participation by volunteer fire personnel.

  • Need for additional career staffing and the increased personnel costs to ensure appropriate minimal response to incidents.

  • Apparatus and equipment repair and purchase costs that continue to rise dramatically.

  • Fire stations that need repairs and upgrades to keep staff safe and to maintain response times.

  • Need for a new fire station in Idaho Springs to assure proper coverage and emergency response.

Staffing challenges:

One of the most impactful issues facing the authority is its ongoing staffing model. Currently, the authority is staffed with a mix of paid/full-time and volunteer firefighters.

CCFA staffing includes 10 career command staff—2 fire chiefs, 2 captains and 3 lieutenants—and six career firefighters. The authority also relies on a volunteer captain and lieutenant and more than 30 volunteer firefighters. The majority of volunteer firefighters live outside of the county and provide staffing through duty crew shifts. The authority also employees a seasonal wildfire crew during the summer.

CCFA started a paid-shift program to maintain appropriate staffing levels due to a lack of volunteers available to serve the authority. Volunteer numbers have dropped significantly over the 10 years due to increasing cost of living, lack of housing, retirements and other factors.