Although most CPN residents didn’t realize it, CPN lost its local emergency medical service on December 1, 2003 when the South Metro Fire District transferred the ambulance and paramedics from Station #36 on Castle Pines Parkway and I-25 to Station #39 on Happy Canyon Road in Castle Pines Village. However, due to quick action by the CPN Master Association’s new Safety Committee, the Fire District has agreed to restore emergency medical service to CPN’s Station #36.

In early December, CPN Safety Committee Chairperson Janet Conner learned of the Fire District’s decision to move the ambulance and emergency medical personnel without any notification to the Fire District’s Board of Directors or the CPN community. Conner contacted Bill Schaeffer, a CPN resident who serves on the Board for SMFD, and met with the SMFD staff. Using the CPN Master Association’s current demographic data about our area, Conner was able to document the need to restore major medical service to the CPN area.

The trained emergency personnel and equipment will be in place at Station #36 as soon as the equipment arrives (in mid-February). The station will have a state-of-the-art defibrillator, a life pack and a 24/7 paramedic. These will be carried on the engine located at station #36. The ambulance will still be located at #39 as it needs to be able to serve the needs of Sedalia and Louviers as well as Castle Pines Village and Castle Pines North communities.

However, the ambulance location should not be a problem, as the ambulance will still be located close enough to arrive by the time that the medical personnel has prepared a patient for transport.

A special thanks to Chief Rinne of South Metro Fire District, the SMFD board of directors and in particular, Bill Schaeffer, for addressing this issue and moving quickly to resolve it when the demographics were presented.

Bringing emergency services back to our neighborhood was the first of several issues to be tackled by the CPN Master Association’s new Safety Committee. The committee initially formed in October to work with Douglas County to address traffic and safety issues affecting CPN.

But before the group could meet, the Cherokee Ranch fire on October 29 brought to light several other issues. First, the Reverse 911 emergency notification system did not work for a large proportion of the residents. Specific problem areas were identified through a survey on the CPN Master Association’s web site and The Connection newsletter.

The committee is starting to work with all agencies responsible for the reverse 911 service to resolve the issues.

The Committee will also work with agencies to address other issues that came to light as a result of the fire, such as the need for improving evacuation procedures. Another area of focus is an apparent conflict regarding scrub oak, where the fire department urges residents to clear a space from around their homes to provide a fire break, however there are laws restricting removal of scrub oak.

The CPN Safety Committee will hold a meeting in February. If you have ideas or questions about any of these efforts, contact committee chairperson Janet Conner at safety@cpnhoa.org, or call the Master Association at (303) 482-3078.

Many thanks to those in the community who have volunteered their time to address issues that impact the entire area.