About Clifton Fire Protection District:

The district provides fire protection and ambulance service across to approximately 35,000 residents and area businesses, employees and travelers. The district’s service area covers 15 square miles and 5 miles of Interstate 70 and Highway 6. CFPD has 24 full-time members and 14 part-time employees. Line employees—including firefighters and EMS—work in 7-person shifts.

The district's emergency equipment includes:

• 75-foot ladder truck
• 2 fire egines
• Brush truck
• Water-rescue boat
• 3 ambulances (2 in service, 1 in reserve/maintenance)

Clifton Fire Protection District Funding:

The district is primarily funded by a voter-approved 11.552 mill levy, which supports staffing, operations, maintenance and other expenses. District’s recent fiscal stewardship and taxpayer accountability efforts include:

• Working over the past 10 years to rebuild the district’s operating reserve. The reserve is primarily for a natural disaster or other budgetary emergency and is not meant for capital investments such as fire stations, vehicles or equipment.
• Replacing and updating a fire engine, 2 ambulances, water-rescue boat and 2 support vehicles without using any debt or borrowing.

Sales-tax proposal:

The district’s Board of Directors is considering asking voters to approve a 1% sales tax to fund the construction, operation and maintenance of a primary station and a satellite station in the southern portion of the district.

• District’s current funding does not provide adequate resources to make improvements necessary to improve response times and address firefighter training and safety.
• Sales tax would generate approximately $3 million per year.
• Funds would be used to finance construction of the proposed stations. (Additional information about the stations is on the other side of this postcard.)
• Using a sales tax will allow travelers and shoppers from outside the district to provide funding.
• Current sales tax rate within the district is 5.27%. Adding the 1% would keep the Clifton-area sales tax below Grand Junction’s 8.66% and Palisade’s 7.27%.

CFPD Station proposal: Improving response times and fireighter safety and training

• Current station was built in 1978 and has been through a several remodels and attempts to make dorms and sleeping quarters where they previously did not exist.
• Improvements to primary station:
  • Areas for training, maintenance, equipment storage and district administration.
    • New station would increase ability for CFPD firefighters to train on site and not require crews to leave the area for specialty training.
  • Sleeping rooms and living area for up to 8 employees.
  • Improved ventilation throughout the station, as well as automatic gas shutoff, safe fire gear storage, washing facilities and no-fire gear areas.
    • Did you know?  Cancer is a leading cause of death in firefighters. The new station will help to protect firefighter and employee health and safety by limiting exposure to hazardous materials and substances.
• Second satellite station in the southern portion of the district to improve response times as recommended in the district’s Strategic Plan.
• CFPD is planning for construction to begin in early 2027.

The District Needs Your Feedback!

The district’s Board wants to hear from its residents and business owners. Please use the following link or scan the QR code to complete a short survey. This information will be shared with the Board and staff to further develop this proposal.