To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Tyler S. Brown, Sheriff, Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office
Prepared By:
prepared
Nathan Fogg, Manager, Office of Emergency Management
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presenter
Presenter: Nathan Fogg, Manager, Office of Emergency Management
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Subject:
title
Approval of Resolution to Ban the Sale and Use of Fireworks in Arapahoe County from May 24 to July 5, 2022
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The Board of County Commissioners is requested to adopt a resolution making a finding of high fire danger in Arapahoe County and prohibiting the sale and use fireworks during the period of May 24th to July 5th, 2022.
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Background and Discussion: As part of the Office of Emergency Management’s (OEM) preparedness efforts, OEM monitors weather conditions, forecasts, and climate predictions. In accordance with statute regarding fire danger, the OEM uses data from the Wildfire Assessment System’s (WFAS) Severe Fire Danger Mapping System and the National Interagency Fire Center’s (NIFC) Predictive Services unit. OEM’s methodology uses NIFC’s long-term regional data and the local data from WFAS. The NIFC provides wildland fire potential outlooks for four months. This tool uses red, green, and white to depict potential for significant wildland fires. Red means above normal potential, green mean below normal potential, and white means normal potential.
For the periods of May, June, July, and August the Predictive Services unit forecasts Arapahoe County in the red, meaning above average potential for significant wildland fires. Significant Fire Potential is defined as “the likelihood that a wildland fire event will require mobilization of additional resources from outside the area in which the fire situation originates.” In their supporting narrative, NIFC says, “Above normal significant wildland fire potential is expected to continue across portions of the Rocky Mountain Area from May through August due to the persistence and expansion of above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation during the outlook period.”
More locally, the WFAS Severe Fire Danger Mapping system is tracking with the long-term regional predictions. The attachments are taken from several dates in May 2022. Starting on May 2nd when potions of Eastern Arapahoe County received about 0.25 inches of precipitation, the Fire Danger was classified as high by WFAS. Moving into the period of May 9-11, the fire danger remains high and transitions into Very High by the 10th.
Fiscal Impact: If the resolution is adopted, the immediate fiscal impact to county is likely to be minimal in that permit fees would not be collected. Overall, this is potentially offset by reduced expenditures in wildland fire responses, but this cannot be known for certain. The larger fiscal impact will be the business owners who operate the sales locations.
Alternatives: The alternative action is to not make the finding of high fire danger and allow the sale and/or use of Colorado legal fireworks in Arapahoe County. A known outcome of this alternative allows vendors to continue with their retail locations and revenue generation. Along with this is the increased danger of significant fires in the county threatening homes, crops, and potentially, resident’s physical well-being.
Alignment with Strategic Plan:
☐Be fiscally sustainable
☒Provide essential and mandated service
☐Be community focused
Staff Recommendation: Given the Severe Fire Danger Mapping System is supportive of the Wildland Fire Potential Outlook, and its predicted severity, the Sheriff’s Office and the Office of Emergency Management recommend a finding of high fire danger, in accordance with C.R.S 30-15-401(1)(n.7) and Arapahoe County Ordinance 2022-01, for Arapahoe County for the period of May 24th to July 5th, 2022, and the adoption of the resolution prohibiting the sale and use of all fireworks during that period.
Concurrence: Tyler S. Brown, Sheriff
Resolution: Attached is a copy of the draft resolution.