Ritter inks 3 bills for firefighters

MONTROSE — Under a banner of applause from scores of wildfire academy attendees Wednesday, Gov. Bill Ritter inked three pieces of firefighter legislation into law.

“It’s greatly beneficial to the firefighters of Colorado,” Shawna Legarza said of Senate Bill 13 — now the Marc Mullenix Memorial Volunteer Firefighter Protection Act. “It sets the stage for legislation in other states. It’s going to be awesome for Colorado firefighters.”

Legarza is Mullenix’s widow and a firefighter. She received the pen Ritter used to sign the bill. The new law which provides immunity from civil and criminal liability for fire departments and those people or entities that donate fire equipment to a fire department.

The exemption does not apply to gross negligence or reckless acts that result in injuries.

The act was sponsored by Sen. Dan Gibbs, D-Silverthorne, a firefighter himself, who was in attendance for the signing ceremony. Co-sponsor was Rep. Claire Levy, D-Boulder.

Ritter said that firefighters face life-or-death situations that require split-second decisions.

They shouldn’t also have to worry about getting sued or prosecuted on top of everything else, he said, but be “focused on fighting the fire.”

Ritter also signed Senate Bill 21 into law Wednesday. The law provides incentives for volunteer firefighters by developing a system for tuition vouchers for community and technical colleges.

“We really are concerned about attracting the next generation of volunteers,” Rep. Christine Scanlan, D-Dillon, said. Scanlan sponsored the bill along with Gibb, Levy and Sen. Mike Kopp, R – Littleton. “This is a tremendous step forward.”

House Bill 1041 also became law. Under it, fire district boards have authority to charge fees for services including extrication, rescue and safety services provided as part of ambulance-related EMS.

“House Bill 1041 came from you,” said Rep. Cheri Gerou, R-Evergreen, who sponsored the bill with Gibbs. “We’re trying to help you help us.”

Gerou told the Daily Press the law applies to all fire districts and is specifically intended for volunteer firefighter boards, to help offset the costs associated with extrication and traffic control on ambulance calls. Boards will be able to set fee schedules for extrication and traffic control, just as they can currently charge for ambulance and EMS.

Gerou said many fire departments respond more often to emergencies than to fires and keeping that segment of their services financially healthy is important.

Montrose Fire Protection District’s firefighters are not volunteers. But district Chief Bob Pistor said the law will benefit smaller departments and gives the MFPD something to consider.

“It’s good to know we can do this,” he said. However, the district is only taking a look at the possibility of implementing charges for extrication. The district already charges for transportation by ambulance — and it charges regardless whether the patient lives in the fire district, meaning taxpayers within the district aren’t footing the bill. It does not charge for extrication alone.

“Colorado, and indeed, the nation is indebted to you,” Ritter told the assembled firefighters, just before signing the bills. “We really appreciate that you have that dedication.”

Ritter’s signing ceremony was one of the Colorado Wildfire and Incident Management Academy’s highlights. The academy began in Montrose Monday and continues with additional training activity for its 294 students from around the U.S. and the Republic of Cyprus today.

Governor meets with county, city officials

Ritter also met with county commissioners and the public earlier Wednesday. He heard a request from Montrose Police Chief Tom Chinn and Montrose County Sheriff Rick Dunlap, who want his support in obtaining High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area designation for the local judicial district (see Daily Press June 3, or log into www.montrosepress.com).

The men said methamphetamine-related activity has soared by 137 percent since 2002.

Ritter, who was once part of the HIDTA board and a former district attorney, acknowledged the significance of Montrose’s drug problem. He said he needed to speak with the state department of public safety to see what sort of support was available.

Health and Human Services Director Peg Mewes and staff also filled the governor in concerning how the economic downturn has impacted social services, particularly through increased applications for food stamps and Medicaid for families and individuals.

Representatives from the city spoke about Montrose’s attempts to create a sustainability committee, expand the Mesa State College campus, and a road swap with the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Commissioner Gary Ellis brought Ritter up to speed on the county’s hopes to obtain Umetco’s old water rights on the San Miguel River.