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North-West Fire Protection District Park County, Colorado |
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NEWS
PRESS RELEASE – update 2-15-08 pm
RE: FEB 15, 2008 DECLARATION OF DISASTER AND EMERGENCY IN PARK COUNTY ![]() As of 5 pm today the South Park Drift Incident is officially over. Crew worked through the day to make a final push and have accomplished accessing 90%-95% of the roads. Park County Road and Bridge will now resume normal plowing operations. Baca County and the Department of Corrections will have crews helping through the weekend, but all other crews have gone home. It is important for residents to understand that during the emergency operations resources were available to assist with some private roads, particularly for those with disabilities and health issues. The county will not be able to continue this practice. Residents will have to take steps to get their private driveways and roads cleared on their own. In all, over 600 miles of road have been made accessible by this operation and 70 emergency contacts or deliveries were made. In order to make those roads accessible, 340 miles of road have been cleared. By opening these roads we gained access to an additional 250 miles of road that had been blocked. Park County would like to thank all of the people and agencies that have donated their time, energy, supplies, and money to help make this a very successful and safe emergency operation. Thanks go to Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, Arapahoe County Office of Emergency Management, Baca County, Colorado Department of Transportation, Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office, Clear Creek County Office of Emergency Management, City of Colorado Springs, The Department of Corrections, El Paso County, Jefferson County Road and Bridge, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Pueblo County, The Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and the hundreds of volunteers and well wishers who offered their support. CONTACT – Park County Public Information Officer – North-West Fire Protection District Fire Chief Mike Roll at 719 836-3150. PRESS RELEASE – update 2-15-08 am RE: FEB 15, 2008 DECLARATION OF DISASTER AND EMERGENCY IN PARK COUNTY ![]() After yesterday’s assessment by members of the South Park Drift Incident Management Team, the snow removal operations will be turned over to the Park County Road and Bridge at approximately 2:00 pm today. At that time normal county snow removal operations will resume. All the state and regional equipment that has been assisting, other than Baca County and the Department of Corrections, will be sent home throughout the day. The Baca and DOC crews will remain to assist with widening and emergency rescue missions. It is important for residents to understand that during the emergency operations resources were available to assist with some private roads, particularly for those with disabilities and health issues. The county will not be able to continue this practice. Residents will have to take steps to get their private driveways and roads cleared on their own. In all, over 600 miles of road have been made accessible by this operation and 68 emergency contacts or deliveries were made. In order to make those roads accessible, 220 miles of road have been cleared and another 121 miles are passable but still need some clearing and widening work. By opening these roads we have gained access to an additional 250 miles of road that had been blocked. Park County would like to thank all of the people and agencies that have donated their time, energy, supplies, and money to help make this a very successful and safe emergency operation. Thanks go to Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, Arapahoe County Office of Emergency Management, Baca County, Colorado Department of Transportation, Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office, Clear Creek County Office of Emergency Management, City of Colorado Springs, The Department of Corrections, El Paso County, Jefferson County Road and Bridge, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Pueblo County, The Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and the hundreds of volunteers and well wishers who offered their support. CONTACT – Park County Public Information Officer – North-West Fire Protection District Fire Chief Mike Roll at 719 836-3150. PRESS RELEASE – update 2-14-08 1400 RE: FEB 14, 2008 DECLARATION OF DISASTER AND EMERGENCY IN PARK COUNTY ![]() After an eyes on assessment by Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener, Park County Emergency Manager Lori Hodges, and Park County Road and Bridge supervisor Dave Kintz it has been determined that by 1400 tomorrow all of the emergency and life safety objectives of this declaration will have been met. At that time Road and Bridge will assume control of all snow removal operations. All the state and regional equipment that has been assisting, other than Baca County and the Department of Corrections will be sent home Friday afternoon. The Baca and DOC crews will remain to assist with widening and emergency rescue missions. It is important for residents to understand that during the emergency operations resources were available to assist with some private roads, particularly for those with disabilities and health issues. The county will not be able to continue this practice. Residents will have to take steps to get their private driveways and roads cleared on their own. Park County would like to thank all of the people and agencies that have donated their time, energy, supplies, and money to help make this a very successful and safe emergency operation. Thanks go to Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, Arapahoe County Office of Emergency Management, Baca County, Colorado Department of Transportation, Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office, Clear Creek County Office of Emergency Management, City of Colorado Springs, The Department of Corrections, El Paso County, Jefferson County Road and Bridge, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Pueblo The Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and the hundreds of volunteers and well wishers who offered their support. The South Park Drift Fund will remain open for those wishing to donate money to help off set the cost of this emergency operation. Checks can be made out to Park County and mailed to P.O. Box 1373, Fairplay, CO 80440. Be sure to put “South Park Drift Fund” in the memo section. Final costs are unavailable at this time. CONTACT – Park County Public Information Officer – North-West Fire Protection District Fire Chief Mike Roll at 719 836-3150. PRESS RELEASE – update 2-14-08 am RE: FEB 14, 2008 DECLARATION OF DISASTER AND EMERGENCY IN PARK COUNTY ![]() Today’s operations will continue despite the heavy snow and overnight drifting and snow removal crews will attempt to gain access to those areas that have had limited or no access for propane deliveries. Current conditions are heavy snow, up to 4-6 inches has already fallen in some areas, and light winds. We expect the winds to pick up during the day. Unfortunately we have had our first known fatality that has been a direct result of the conditions. Yesterday afternoon a semi truck collided with an SUV, killing the driver of the SUV. The accident is still being investigated, but indications are wind and icy patches of road were major contributors to the accident. Resources remain from throughout the state and will continue efforts through at least Friday. In addition to the 30 snow removal vehicles from Park County, we have received equipment and personnel from Pueblo, Baca, Jefferson, Arapahoe Office of Emergency Management, and El Paso Counties as well as Colorado Springs and the Department of Corrections. We expect to have 80% of the primary travel roads cleared by the end of today and 90%-95% by the end of Friday. In all, 21 rescue missions have been performed, reaching as many as 45 homes. These missions involved making food and/or medicine deliveries to people in need. Search and Rescue equipment and personnel from Arapahoe Office of Emergency Management, Clear Creek, and Jefferson Counties are assisting Park County crews with this. All of the priority missions have been accomplished and as of now no evacuations have been necessary at this time, but should the need arise we have a shelter on standby. Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and local volunteers have helped set up the shelters and are providing warm meals for responders. All state and federal highways, as well as most County Roads through Park County remain open at this time. To put this incident into some perspective – Park County is approximately 2,200 square miles, the state of Delaware is less than 2,000. There are more miles of road in Park County than Delaware. The blizzards of last year in southwest Colorado involved 6 counties. The area involved in Park County alone is 1/3 of that. Residents are reminded that they are responsible to maintain their driveways as much as possible. Roads will be opened as best we can, but the homeowners need to create access for the propane delivery trucks on their property. FACT SHEET PLOWING – Park County has 16 graders with plows and wings, 7 loaders, and 7 snowplow trucks working at this time. All equipment is out on the roads at this time. We have also received 1 grader from Pueblo County, 1 loader/blower from El Paso County, 2 loaders from Baca County, 1 dozer from Jefferson County, 2 dozers from Arapahoe County, and 1 grader, 1 loader, 4 dozers, and 1 backhoe from the Department of Corrections with staff and offenders to operate them. This is the first time the DOC’s program has been called to assist HOW MANY ARE STRANDED – Updated estimates are that up to 250 homes have been drifted in. Of the 200 that we have not made physical contact with, plows are working to access their roads or we have verified in some way that the residents are safe. HOW HAS TRAVEL BEEN AFFECTED – All roads are open, however visibility is limited due to high winds and blowing snow. Blowing snow is anticipated throughout the day. HOW DO I GET HELP? – The public is asked to call 719 836-4160. DO NOT CALL 911 – The emergency dispatch staff has been inundated with calls delaying response time. Emergency 911 response is running normally – if you have a fire, police or emergency medical need please call 911 for assistance. HOW CAN I HELP? – There has been an outpouring of support from around the State with offers to donate time, food, and equipment. “ One of the most important things we can do right now is to come together as a community. If you have neighbors you know are stuck, get out and see what they need and make sure they are alright.” For individuals who wish to donate funds to help with these rescue and snow removal efforts Park County has established a fund account. Checks can be made out to Park County and mailed to P.O. Box 1373, Fairplay, CO 80440. Be sure to put “South Park Drift Fund” in the memo section. CONTACT – Park County Public Information Officer – North-West Fire Protection District Fire Chief Mike Roll at 719 836-3150. PRESS RELEASE – update 2-13-08 pm RE: FEB 13, 2008 DECLARATION OF DISASTER AND EMERGENCY IN PARK COUNTY Sunny skies and calmer winds have helped rescue and snow removal operations take big strides in getting to Park County residents. Rescue operations involved contacting families that have been without phones and delivering food, as well as assisting ranchers get feed to their livestock. Snow removal crews were able to get access to several more roads, which is allowing propane deliveries into those areas. Resources remain from throughout the state and will continue efforts through the week. In addition to the 30 snow removal vehicles from Park County, we have received equipment and personnel from Pueblo, Baca, Jefferson, El Paso, and Garfield Counties as well as Colorado Springs, Department of Corrections, and CDOT. In all, 21 rescue missions have been performed, reaching as many as 45 homes. These missions involved making food and/or medicine deliveries to people in need. Search and Rescue equipment and personnel from Arapahoe, Clear Creek, and Jefferson Counties are assisting Park County crews with this. No evacuations have been necessary at this time, but should the need arise we have a shelter on standby. Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and local volunteers have helped set up the shelters and are providing warm meals for responders and victims. Tonight’s forecast shows the possibility for more high winds and up to a foot of new snow. Residents in Park County are encouraged to stock extra stores of food, fuel and necessary medications and if possible should make every effort to collect those necessities before the next storm in case conditions should again block access roads. Severe weather is a possibility over the remainder of the winter. All state and federal highways, as well as most County Roads through Park County are open at this time. There has been an outpouring of support from around the State with offers to donate time, food, and equipment. “One of the most important things we can do right now is to come together as a community. If you have neighbors you know are stuck, get out and see what they need and make sure they are alright.” For individuals who wish to donate funds to help with these rescue and snow removal efforts Park County has established a fund account. Checks can be made out to Park County and mailed to P.O. Box 1373, Fairplay, CO 80440. Be sure to put “South Park Drift Fund” in the memo section. FACT SHEET PLOWING – Park County has 16 graders with plows and wings, 7 loaders, and 7 snowplow trucks working at this time. All equipment is out on the roads at this time. We have also received 1 grader from Pueblo County, 1 loader/blower from El Paso County, 2 loaders from Baca County, 1 dozer from Jefferson County, 2 dozers from Arapahoe County, and 2 loaders, 1 loader/blower, 2 loader/plows, 2 dozers, 1 truck/blower, and 2 graders from CDOT, and 1 grader, 1 loader, 1 dozer, and 1 backhoe from the Department of Corrections with 4 staff and 4 offenders to operate them. We are anticipating more help from the Department of Corrections to arrive tomorrow. HOW MANY ARE STRANDED – Updated estimates are that up to 250 homes have been drifted in. Of the 200 that we have not made physical contact with, plows are working to access their roads or we have verified in some way that the residents are safe. HOW HAS TRAVEL BEEN AFFECTED – All roads are open, however visibility may be very limited due to high winds and blowing snow. Blowing snow is anticipated tonight and tomorrow. WHAT ABOUT A DIRE EMERGENCY? – Volunteers with Park County Search and Rescue as well as crews from Arapahoe, Clear Creek, and Jefferson Counties have been staged around the county to respond to emergencies and will begin rescue operation toady. Other departments will respond as required. HOW DO I GET HELP? – The public is asked to call 719 836-4160. DO NOT CALL 911 – The emergency dispatch staff has been inundated with calls delaying response time. Emergency 911 response is running normally – if you have a fire, police or emergency medical need please call 911 for assistance CONTACT – Park County Public Information Officer – North-West Fire Protection District Fire Chief Mike Roll at 719 836-3150. Park County has declared a disaster and emergency due to the weather conditions and the constant high winds. For more info go to: http://www.parkco.us/oem.htm Snow Contractors by location Attached is a list of contractors available in the region to assist homeowners with their snow removal needs. We do not endorse or recommend any contractor, but provide this as a resource list only. Chief Mike Roll North-West Fire Protection District P.O. Box 1090/21455 Hwy 285 Fairplay, CO 80440 719-836-3150 phone 719-836-7231 fax Park County Tom Hatton 719-689-2251 - Back hoe, skid steer loader Mike Brown 303-838-1860 - Front Loader Jeff Carnahan 719-839-7085 - 2 big loaders and 1 grader Franken Excavating 303-210-9511 303-944-9532 - back hoe skid in Indian Mtn Rick Peters 719-836-7060 - D8 (big) bulldozer All around Excavating 303-836-0928 - Rachelle D5 bulldozer JD Snow removal 303-669-7568 - Big loader in Fairplay Nearby areas High Plains Construction 303-888-5672 - Loaders Graders Mark Burris 303-349-1899 - Skid steer loader Bald Eagle Snow Removal 970-904-2387 - Plow Trucks loaders 1st Choice Equipment 303-429-7004 - Skid loaders w/ blades buckets SCIC Services 720-329-8084 951-219-9289 - snowplow trucks front loaders Cook Bros 970-520-5194 - Loader dump truck Barry Trucking 720-373-7015 303-932-0632 - several loaders in Salida Tarco Inc- Rob Rogers 303-429-2221 ext 157 - Heavy construction/ big loaders Triple L Contracting – Drew 303-842-2022 - Back hoes Loaders Kevin Peterson 303-324-4990 - Skid steer loader with snow blower Jeff Sprague 970-630-0859 - Big John Deere tractor with V plow for long roads Brian snow removal in Denver 303-503-8309 - Snowplow trucks New American Pipeline- Harry- 303-507-6993 - Big loaders heavy eqpt Vic Ward- Ward Const. 970-566-1553 - 8.5 ft snowblower in Loveland Barry Kindvall 970-405-4947 - 2 front end loaders All Grade Excavating 719-382-1191 - Front end loader |