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Welcome to the Big Sandy Fire Protection District /
Simla Volunteer Fire Department homepage!

The District covers over 500 square miles of Eastern Elbert and Northeastern El Paso Counties with Fire and EMS services, and is a combination volunteer/paid Fire/EMS department. The ongoing success and operation is a testament to both the supportive residents of the area we cover and the devoted volunteers that have donated countless hours to keep this department moving forward.

The Big Sandy Fire Protection District has now been supported through the special tax district for 18months which alleviates the strain on our past donators and also on our ambulance service which supported this department for years. Your support, as always, is appreciated and we look forward to serving you as the Big Sandy Fire Protection District!

The department feels that this district formation will better serve and benefit the community we serve in so many ways, and we are very excited about the future. The BSFPD has a very dedicated and knowledgeable Board of Directors that will always put the community's fire and medical protection interests first.

So thanks again for visiting, and we look forward to seeing you again!

ELBERT COUNTY FIRE WARNING Date: 12/4/2007 ELBERT COUNTY STAGE 1 BURN RESTRICTION ALWAYS IN EFFECT The winter months in Elbert County are typically dangerous fire months. The Office of Emergency Management, Elbert County Fire Chiefs Association and the Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the public that Elbert County remains in a Stage 1 burn restriction status, NO OPEN BURNING IS ALLOWED, UNLESS PERMITTED THROUGH THE LOCAL FIRE DISTRICT. Anyone burning without a permit may be issued a citation and fined. Typically, November is the 2nd snowiest month. Elbert County received less than 1/10 of an inch of precipitation in November and the outlook for December is the same. It is advised, not to apply for burn permits unless absolutely necessary. Beware of ignition sources such as electric fences, grills, lit cigarettes or sparks generated from outdoor equipment! Add high winds and the fire danger is a real threat. Contact the Office of Emergency Management for further information at 303.805.6132 or email: OEM@ElbertCounty-CO.Gov. Mitigation programs are available to reduce fire danger around your property and don’t forget, the Elbert County Chipper Project is open on Fridays and Saturdays from April through September at the Elbert County Compactor site.

Recent News Summer is gone and we all know what that means - WildLand Fire Season. Temperatures are dropping and the grass that grew is now almost dried out. Please be careful when driving in pastures and ALWAYS use your car ashtray instead of throwing the butt out the window, it won't take much to turn pastures into a raging fire. With Winter here, it's time to turn our attention to things related to home heating and the safety concerns that brings with it. Check your Carbon Monoxide Detectors if you have them! With the furnace coming on, now is a good time to check the batteries in ALL detectors in the home. Folks using space heaters and other types of alternative heating such as wood stoves, kerosene, etc..., check your equipment for any signs of wear that may present problems. Practice safety while using these kinds of heating sources by being aware of placement and possible combustibles in the area that could ignite. If you are using a wood stove, think about getting that chimmney swept. If you want to burn slash, trash, do a campfire, etc.... Please contact the Fire Department and arrange for a burn permit. You can also find out if there is any current county or fire district restrictions in place. Without this notification there's a good chance that a brush truck will show up and put your fire out.

About the Web Site

The Fire Page has fire prevention information as well as apparatus images. The EMS Page includes seasonal medical information as well as links to the major hospitals in the Denver/Colorado Springs Region. There's even a Kids Page with resources geared toward younger audiences.

The Incident Images and Sponsored Events pages provide graphic glimpses of what we do on calls, in training, and sometimes just having fun.

The Burn Permit page contains information about conducting a controlled burn, and how to go about getting a permit for it. We now have an Online Burn Permit Application available for submission.

Interested in Volunteering? We'd like to hear from you! NO experience is necessary, just a sincere willingness to be part of a team and able to donate some time and effort toward a very worthy cause.

Care to contribute content, leave some feedback, or submit ideas about improving the site? Please visit the Contact Page. Suggestions are always welcome!

Member Resources

Email account access and other Member information is now available from the Member Resource Page. If you have any access problems please contact me by phone or email. Chief/1700

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