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Ambulance Membership Program

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1. Is North Metro Fire's Ambulance Membership Program a medical insurance policy?

No. The Ambulance Membership Program is not an insurance policy, nor is it intended to be a substitute for medical insurance.

2. Who is eligible for the North Metro Fire's Ambulance Membership Program?

Citizens who live within North Metro Fire Rescue District boundaries are eligible. This includes the cities of Northglenn and Broomfield, and some areas of unincorporated Adams, Boulder, Jefferson and Weld Counties. If you are unsure whether you are within the District’s boundaries, please contact us.

please contact us.

3. Do I have to hold a valid medical insurance policy to be eligible?

Yes. All persons listed for membership (including all persons listed in family memberships) must have medical insurance or coverage under another medical benefit provider like Medicare.

4. Does the Ambulance Membership Program cover visitors to my home?

No. Only permanent residents of the home, who are listed for membership on the application/renewal form, are eligible for benefits.

5. Will my insurance or provider be billed for services?

Yes. The balance not paid by your insurance or provider (co-pays, deductible, etc.) will be paid on your behalf by the Ambulance Membership Program to satisfy the full balance on your account up to a maximum of $1,500 per year per member.

6. Will I see a bill from North Metro Fire Rescue District?

Not usually. You will not be billed for any balance not paid by your insurance or provider unless you or a member of your family has exceeded the $1,500 annual maximum.

You may receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) or remittance advice from your insurance company or provider. It may indicate that you owe a portion of the claim. An EOB is not a bill and is only intended to advise you of the amount paid to North Metro Fire for the claim.

If not enrolled in our Ambulance Membership Program (AMP), you would be responsible for the amount in excess of the amount paid by your medical insurance provider, but with AMP, you owe nothing from your own pocket unless you exceed the maximum AMP benefit for that year.

7. Is the $1,500 maximum per person annual membership benefit usually going to be enough to cover the portion of the bill not paid by medical insurance or provider?

For nearly every member, the answer is “yes.” On average, members who receive ambulance services incur approximately $800 per year of charges in excess of what their medical insurance or provider pays for ambulance services. Less than one percent of the members of the Ambulance Membership Program have ever had charges not paid by their medical insurance carrier in excess of $1,500 in one year.

8. When does the $1,500 per person annual limit start over?

The $1,500 annual limit starts at the time of the initial acceptance into the program, or for current members, on the date of the member’s annual renewal.

9. Does the amount of the benefit paid in prior years affect the current year’s $1,500 maximum benefit?

No. Every member and every person listed on an individual, family or senior membership starts over upon each annual renewal with a full $1,500 benefit.

10. Does North Metro Fire's Ambulance Membership Program cover scheduled and/or routine ambulance transports?

No. Only 911 activated emergency transports are covered by your membership.

11. Does North Metro Fire's Ambulance Membership Program cover transports by other ambulance services?

No. Transport by other ambulance companies is not covered.

12. Do I have to call 911 from my home to receive membership benefits?

No. Any emergency transport from within the District’s boundaries is covered.

For instance, if you call 911 for emergency transport from the Flatiron Crossing Mall, the transport is covered. If you call 911 for emergency transport from the Westminster Mall, the transport would not be covered because North Metro Fire does not respond to calls in the City of Westminster.

13. Will you let me know when my annual membership expires?

Yes. All memberships expire on December 31. You will receive a notice indicating that your membership is set to expire in early December. You will have the opportunity to renew your membership before it expires. 

14. Will I receive a membership card?

No. In fact, we don’t even expect you to remember to tell us you are part of the Ambulance Membership Program in the event of an emergency. We take care of everything for you!

A copy of your membership application is provided to all new enrollees for your records. If you need another copy of your membership information, we will be happy to provide it.

15. Is it too late in the year to join the Ambulance Membership Program?

It is never too late to join the Ambulance Membership Program. Depending on when you sign up, your initial membership fee will be discounted accordingly. Then beginning in January of the coming year, your membership will be up for renewal at the annual fee rate. If you are interested in signing up for the program or want more information, please call our front desk at 303-452-9910. 

16. Is my ambulance membership up to date? How can I check the status of my membership?

Call North Metro Fire at (303) 452-9910 to check the status of your membership.

17. How much does an annual membership cost?

For an individual, a membership costs $40. For a family where the primary member is 55 years or older, the cost is $45. For a family with members who are under the age of 55, the cost is $55. 

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Codes & Requirements

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1. What codes and standards does my project have to be in compliance with?

A very good question, and the starting point for all projects. The answer depends on the city and/or county in which your project is located. North Metro Fire Rescue District serves all of the City of Northglenn, the City and County of Broomfield and portions of unincorporated Adams, Boulder, Jefferson and Weld Counties. Each entity may adopt different building and fire codes and may adopt local amendments to those codes. Furthermore, adopted codes and amendments tend to change every few years as newer codes are developed.

It is best to confirm the design codes of record for a project with a member of the Fire Prevention Division before assuming the use of a particular code or standard.

2. I’ve heard that thumb-turn style door locks are illegal. Is this true? If so, what kinds of locks can I have in order to be in compliance with the code but also provide protection from theft?

Thumb-turn style locks are only allowed on exit doors if thumb-turn lever is large enough to allow operation without using fingers (which is to say that pinching or grasping is not required to operate the mechanism) and the thumb-turn lever rotates no more than approximately 90 degrees.

There are several types of door-locking hardware that can be installed on exit doors that will provide an increased level of security while at the same time meeting the exiting requirements of the building and fire code. It is recommended that you contact the Fire Prevention Division before changing any existing approved hardware or before installing additional locking hardware to any exit doors. The Fire Prevention Division will be happy to assist you in determining an appropriate configuration for your specific situation.

3. How far from the road and from existing buildings can my building be?

This question really is a question for the city and/or county in which the project will be located. The fire code does not regulate setback distances for buildings. Setbacks may be regulated by the locally adopted building code and standards commonly enforced by the local community development, planning department or building department.

4. Are duct smoke detectors required for my building? If so, do they need to be connected to the building’s alarm system?

The requirement for the installation of duct smoke detectors is a mechanical code requirement and a fire code requirement. Generally, the mechanical code requires that duct detectors be installed on the supply and return sides of HVAC units if the aggregate (cumulative) capacity of the system exceeds a capacity of 2,000 cubic feet per minute (cfm). Duct detectors, if present, are required by the fire code to be connected to the building’s alarm system.

In buildings that are not required to be equipped with an alarm system, the fire code requires that the activation of a duct smoke detector activate a visible and audible signal in an approved location. Smoke detector trouble conditions shall activate a visible or audible signal in an approved location and shall be specifically identified as air duct detector trouble.

5. I’m constructing a new building. Does my building need to be equipped with sprinklers?

Always a good question to ask up front to avoid surprises later down the road in the development process. Unfortunately, there is no clear cut answer. Whether or not your building will require an automatic fire sprinkler system depends on the city or county in which it is located, the size of the building, the number of stories, construction type, the occupancy classification, and use(s) or operation(s) to take place within the building, the configuration of fire department vehicular access to and around the building, and the water supply available for firefighting purposes.

6. I’m moving my offices into a currently empty tenant space within a two-story office building? Does my space need a fire alarm system?

Most likely you will not be required by the fire code to provide a fire alarm system for your space. However, more information about the building and your space is needed in order for the fire district to give a correct answer. What is your occupancy load? What is your occupancy classification? What will you be doing in your space? Does the rest of the building have a fire alarm system? Is the building provided with an automatic sprinkler system? Does the owner, property manager or the owner’s insurance company require that all tenants furnish a fire alarm system that interfaces with the building’s master fire alarm control panel?

Questions like these, and maybe some others, will need to be answered before the fire district can determine alarm system requirements for your new space.

7. What can really happen to me if I refuse to comply with the fire code?

As much as practically possible, the fire district tries to work with individuals to achieve voluntary compliance in a reasonable time frame. However, for serious violations that pose a distinct threat to life safety as determined solely by the fire district, a business may be evacuated and ordered closed, or an operation may be ordered to cease until the violation is corrected. In some cases, a summons may be issued. Fire Prevention personnel also have the ability to call upon local law enforcement for immediate assistance.

8. Why does the fire district require that the exterior horn/strobe on my sprinklered building sound on all alarms as opposed to just water flow?

The fire district requires that the exterior horn/strobe activates on all alarms, not just water flow, and that it activates until all alarms have been reset. Having the exterior horn/strobe activate on all alarms helps responding personnel quickly identify and locate the facility experiencing the alarm and can expedite any necessary emergency actions.

9. My project is unique and cannot be effectively built using the prescriptive requirements set forth within the code. What can I do?

If your project does not fit within the confines of prescriptive code requirements, you may wish to consider a performance-based design or alternate method approach. Read more about this approach on the Performance-Based Design Approach page.

10. I have been a fire protection contractor for over 20 years. Why do I have to change the way I’ve been doing things just for your jurisdiction?

The Fire Prevention Division of North Metro Fire Rescue District prides itself on being progressive and technically adept. To that end, please understand that fire safety engineers and inspectors are not singling out your work or you as an individual. Rather, they are just trying to do the best job that they can to ensure that the system is being designed and installed in compliance with the codes and standards under which the project was approved. It may be that there have been some significant changes to the standards of design for the fire protection or building system of which you may not be aware.

11. What are impact fees and will they apply to my project?

Impact fees are monies assessed to a new development by the Fire District pursuant to C.R.S. 29-20-1045 to help pay for the Fire District’s capital infrastructure needed to serve that development. As of January 1, 2018, the Fire District assesses such fees for projects located in unincorporated portions of Adams County under an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the Adams County Commissioners. If it is determined that an impact fee applies to your project, the fee structure for impact fees is as follows:

Single-family Homes/Residential Units = $557.00 per unit

2+ Residential Units = $436.00 per unit

Commercial/Office/Institutional Development = $0.38 per square foot of development

Industrial Development = $0.05 per square foot of development

All plans for projects located within unincorporated Adams County submitted to the Fire District for review must be accompanied by a completed Adams County Impact Fee form. If it determined by the Fire District that an impact fee applies to your project, the impact fee must be paid directly to the Fire District after the development permit is issued by Adams County, and before any building permits can be issued. The Fire District will promptly notify Adams County when the impact fee has been paid, after which time, building permits may be released pending approval by the Adams County Building Division. Impact fees are separate, and in addition to, any permit and plan review fees authorized to be charged by the Fire District under the fire code adopted by Adams County.

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Community Services & General Info

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1. How can I request a fire engine and crew to come to my event?

We try to support as many community-wide events as we can. However, our first responsibility is to respond to emergencies, so sometimes we can't make an event due to emergency call volume, firefighter training and other necessary emergency service duties. If you would like to request a fire engine to stop by your community event, please contact the public information officer at 303-252-3017 or via email sfarris@northmetrofire.org. You may also fill out an online request form to request a fire engine for your event. Please submit your request at least two weeks prior to your event. 

Please note, we do not send fire engines to promotional events for businesses, such as grand openings. However, in certain circumstances, we will partner with community businesses on safety education opportunities and send a fire engine to coincide with an educational event at a business. 

Typically, we schedule crews to attend an event for one to two hours maximum. Our fire engine crew and ambulance crew stay in service when attending community events. For this reason, there may be times when our crews must leave an event early to respond to an emergency call, or they may arrive late or not at all due to an emergency. Please understand we will do our best to attend your event, but providing the best emergency response to our citizens is our first priority. 

2. When can my child sit in the front seat?

Usually by age 13 a child can sit in the front seat. However, the rule of thumb is that the child's height should be approximately 4 ft, 9 inches so that the seat belt rests correctly across the child's body for proper safety. The seat belt should rest across the pelvic area and not the stomach area.

For additional information on car seat safety, check out guidelines from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website. 

3. Does North Metro Fire offer community service opportunities?

While we have a limited number of short-term volunteer and community service opportunities during the year, as a rule we don't have long-term community service projects for youth looking to earn community service hours. If you have a specific community service project in mind that would involve our fire department, please contact the public information officer at 303-252-3017 or sfarris@northmetrofire.org. 

4. Does North Metro Fire have volunteer firefighter opportunities?

North Metro Fire is a full-service professional fire department and no longer offers volunteer firefighter opportunities. 

5. Where can I recycle or retire my old and worn flags?

North Metro Fire accepts flags for retirement at their Headquarters building and fire stations throughout the year, but residents can also drop off their old flags at the Broomfield Veterans Memorial Museum and the Broomfield Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall. Each June around Flag Day, the fire district hosts an official Flag Retirement Ceremony with the help of the Broomfield Veterans Memorial Museum, Broomfield Police, the VFW and local boy and girl scouts. We encourage the public to join us in retiring some of the donated flags and honoring our nation's most regarded symbol.

You don't have to donate your flag to the fire district or other organizations in order to properly retire it. You simply need to cut the union of stars out from the stripes. Then the American flag is no longer considered to be a flag, and you can respectfully discard of the remnants in a receptacle. With the many synthetic flags used today, we no longer encourage residents to burn their flag remnants. Burning synthetic flags will expose you unnecessarily to harmful toxins released from the flag.  

6. Do you accept monetary or in-kind donations such as clothing or toys?

North Metro Fire is able to accept monetary donations through the North Metro Fire Rescue District Community Foundation. Donations to the foundation are used to support fire and life safety programs in our community as well as the emergency financial needs of local first responders who are killed or seriously injured in the line of duty and their immediate families. If you would like to donate to our foundation, you may send a check made out to "NMFRD Community Foundation" to North Metro Fire's Headquarters at 101 Spader Way, Broomfield CO 80020. 

North Metro Fire doesn't accept in-kind donations of clothing, furniture, toys, etc. for the most part due to the lack of storage for such items. However, we do host a back-to-school drive and holiday toy drive during the year and will happily accept your new items to assist local families in need. 

7. Does North Metro Fire unlock car doors?

North Metro Fire does not come to unlock a car door unless there is a child or pet locked inside the car. Otherwise, we advise residents to call their local locksmith to assist. 

8. How do I recycle or discard of old smoke or carbon monoxide detectors?

They can be wrapped in newspaper and safely put in the trash as long as you remove the battery from the detector first. 

9. How do I recycle a fire extinguisher?

You can call your city or check their website for hazardous material roundup dates.

10. How can I recharge my fire extinguisher?

North Metro Fire does not provide this service. However, there are many companies available that inspect and recharge fire extinguishers. You can find these companies by performing an Internet search or by checking your local yellow pages. 

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Definitions

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1. I’ve heard fire districts use the terms “fire alarm system” and “sprinkler monitoring alarm system.” What is the difference?

That question can actually be expanded on to determine the difference between a manual fire alarm system, an automatic and manual fire alarm system, and an automatic sprinkler system water flow monitoring alarm system (often called a sprinkler monitoring alarm system). We will define all three on the Fire Alarm System Definitions Page.

2. I’ve heard fire districts use the term “common-use” area. What is the definition of a common-use area?

Common-use areas are defined in International Building Code as, “interior or exterior circulation paths, rooms, spaces, or elements that are not for public use and are made available for the shared use of two or more people.” Public-use areas are defined in International Building Code as, “interior or exterior rooms or spaces that are made available to the general public.” Employee work areas are defined in the International Building Code as, “all or any portion of a space used only by employees and only for work.”

Hallways, lobbies, restrooms and any other general usage areas, such as meeting and conference rooms, classrooms, cafeterias, employee break rooms, dressing rooms, examination rooms and similar spaces that are not used solely as individual employee work areas (i.e., individual offices) will be common-use areas or public-use areas depending on the facility. Employee work areas can be part of common-use areas or a private office. Mechanical rooms, electrical rooms, telephone equipment rooms, janitor closets and similar non-occupiable spaces are not considered common-use or public-use areas.

3. I’ve heard fire districts use the term “fire flow” when referring to fire hydrant requirements associated with a new project? What does the term “fire flow” really mean?

The term “fire flow” means minimum volume of water that must be available per minute from the fire hydrants in the immediate area of the project. Fire flow is measured in gallons per minute (gpm) and must be provided at a minimum residual pressure of 20 pounds per square inch (psi) in order to be usable by the fire pumps on fire apparatus.

The minimum fire flow required by the fire code for all commercial projects is 1,500 gpm provided by at least one fire hydrant. However, some cities require that the water distribution system serving a new project area be designed to deliver much more than that. Depending on the size of a building and its construction type, required fire flows can be as high as 4,000 gpm.

4. I’ve heard fire districts use the term “turnaround time.” What does that mean, how is it determined, and what is the turnaround time of plans submitted to the Fire Prevention Division for review?

Plans submitted for review are examined by fire safety engineers on a first-in, first-out basis. The term “turnaround time” refers to the time it takes for a fire safety engineer to complete a review (i.e. approve, disapprove or issue comments) on a set of plans submitted to the Fire Prevention Division.

Turnaround time is not “fixed” and depends on several factors, the most critical of those factors being the amount of construction taking place in the jurisdiction at the time plans are submitted. Because turnaround time can be a significant time period, it is important that plans submitted for review are of the highest quality and are as accurate and as detailed as possible.

Plans that are disapproved and have to be resubmitted to the Fire Prevention Division have to start at the end of the queue. Such delays can be costly and can cause serious problems with construction time lines.

5. I’ve heard building departments and fire districts use the term “variance request.” What exactly is a “variance request”?

A “variance request” is an inquiry to deviate from a code requirement by providing compensatory measures that enable the design to provide an equivalent or greater level of safety than that which would have been minimally required by the code. A variance request should not be an inquiry to waive a code requirement. The fire district is not authorized to waive code requirements.

Variance requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may require extensive technical justification and/or additional review time.

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General

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1. What will my permit and plan review fees be, and when do they need to be paid to the fire district?

Permit and plan review fees are set forth in the adopted fire code and are, in most cases, based on the subcontractor’s valuation of the work to be performed under the permit. For more information about permit and plan review fees, please visit the Permit and Plan Review Fees page.

2. Does the Fire Prevention Division accept payment by credit card?

Yes, in addition to cash and checks, the fire district now accepts payment by Visa, Discover and MasterCard for all assessed fees.

3. How do I know in what fire district my project is located?

If you are not sure which fire district serves your project location, please contact us at 303-452-9910 and we’ll tell you if your property is in the jurisdiction of North Metro Fire Rescue District. If it is not, we may even be able to help you figure out which jurisdiction it is in.

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Open Burning and Fire Restrictions

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1. What is open burning?

Open burning is the burning of materials in an outdoor location where the materials burned are not contained in an incinerator, fireplace, grill, fire pit or similar appliance with a chimney or smoke stack. Examples of open burning include farmers conducting agricultural burns on their land or someone burning a pep-rally style bonfire. 

Residents at single-family homes burning a small campfire-sized fire in a contained space in their yard are generally excluded from the open burning restrictions of the adopted fire code. However, on days with very high fire danger, North Metro Fire may recommend that even recreational fires be restricted out of precaution.  Additionally, the local sheriff and local public health department have the authority to issue burn restrictions, or even a fire ban, during periods of high fire danger or poor air quality.  A “RED FLAG WARNING” issued by the National Weather Service automatically triggers a complete fire ban in the affected areas.

General Open Burning
Homeowners and landowners, regardless of the size of their plot of land, who have cleared brush, trimmed trees and bushes, etc. for the purpose of maintaining their land, sometimes wish to dispose of the yard waste by burning. While this is possible, the fire district always recommends other methods of disposal, such as city or county tree-recycling programs, disposal in the regular trash, etc. Should a homeowner desire to dispose of yard waste in this manner, they must contact the fire district to obtain a burn permit, unless the fire is kept to the recreational fire size or disposed of in an outdoor fireplace.

Bonfires  If you are planning a fire pit that would have a stack of wood greater than 3 feet across and 2 feet high, then you will need a permit from North Metro Fire.  A bonfire must be constructed at least 50 feet from any combustibles.

Agricultural Burning
Agricultural burning is the open burning of vegetation by farmers for the purpose of preparing the soil for crop production, weed control, maintenance of water conveyance structures related to agricultural operations, and other agricultural cultivation purposes. Homeowners with larger plots of land that are maintaining their acreage are not considered agricultural. Agricultural burning requires a permit from North Metro Fire. 

More information about burn permits and how to apply for one

2. Do I need a permit for open burning if there are no current fire restrictions or bans?

Yes. No matter what the conditions, you must obtain a burn permit from your local or state public health department and fire department before burning anything that exceeds the size of a recreational fire (3 feet wide and 2 feet high). Even with a burn permit, you must still check in with North Metro Fire personnel prior to burning to ensure conditions are safe to do so. 

When we are under Level 1 Fire Restrictions, bonfires and most agricultural burning are prohibited.

When we are under a Level 2 Fire Ban, all outdoor burning involving solid fuels (wood, leaves, charcoal, etc.) is prohibited, regardless of size. 

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Permits

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1. I want to burn some scrap vegetation that I’ve accumulated on my property over time. Can I get a burn permit?

For information pertaining to open burning and under what circumstances permits can be obtained, please refer to the Open Burning page.

2. I own a business and I’ve hired a new employee. I need to make room for her and so I need to put up some new walls. Do I need a building permit or a permit from the fire district? If so, why?

Most likely you will need a building permit to erect new walls, which will be issued by your city or county’s Building Department. If your building is equipped with an automatic sprinkler system, you may need to hire a fire sprinkler contractor to add and/or relocate sprinkler heads, in which case you would also need a permit from the fire district. If your building is equipped with a fire alarm system and any alterations occur to that system, you will also need a permit from the fire district for any alterations made to the fire alarm system.

Permits are required to ensure that the work being performed will be done in a safe manner, will not violate any requirements of the building or fire Codes, and will not prevent building systems from operating as intended. For more information visit our Permits / Inspections page.

3. I am a fire sprinkler contractor working on a very small tenant finish job involving a few sprinkler additions and relocations. Do I have to wait for my plan to be reviewed before I can get a permit?

Most likely, no. In the spirit of customer service, the Fire Prevention Division has developed what are called “fast-track” permits for minor alterations to fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems. To qualify for a fast-track permit, work on an existing sprinkler system typically must be limited to 30 or fewer sprinkler heads. For existing fire alarm systems, work typically must be limited to 10 devices or less. In some cases, fast-track permits may even be completed while you wait depending on the availability of Fire Prevention Division personnel. However, generally speaking, fast-track permits do not take more than one to two days to process.

Fast-track permit fees are based on the contractor’s valuation of the work to be performed and are calculated based on the adopted fee schedule within the fire code that is adopted by the city or county in which the work will take place. All fast-track permit fees must be paid prior to the permit being released by the fire district. The fire district accepts cash and checks, as well as Visa, Discover and MasterCard credit cards, as forms of payment for all assessed fees.