About Us
The Loveland Rural Fire Protection District is a Colorado Special District. The Rural District is governed by a Board of five elected Directors. Elections for Directors occur in odd-numbered years in May. The Rural District maintains an administrative office at 7555 E. Hampden Ave, Suite 501, Denver, CO 80231.
The Rural District and the City of Loveland formed the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority effective January 1, 2012. All fire and emergency services, plan reviews, building permits, fire-protection system permits, ISO, protection class, fire station location, hydrant location, etc. in the Rural District is the responsibility of the Fire Authority. The Rural District does not have any employees or volunteers.
The Loveland Rural Fire Protection District is served operationally by the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority (LFRA). Questions regarding planning and zoning reviews, building permits, fire protection system permits, ISO ratings, development and construction project reviews, fire station locations, hydrant locations, and similar operational matters within the Rural District should be directed to LFRA at LFRA.org. The Rural District does not manage these services independently.
Background
The Loveland Rural Fire Protection District was formed in 1950. The Rural District surrounds the City of Loveland and covers approximately 187 square miles consisting of rural, foothill, mountain, and urban commercial and residential properties. The boundaries of the Rural District are generally Larimer County Road 32 to the north, Drake area to the west, Southeast 48th Street to the south, and Larimer/Weld County line to the east.
Since 1950, the Rural District has relied upon its contractual relationship with the City of Loveland through the Loveland Fire and Rescue Department (through 2011), and the volunteers of the Big Thompson Canyon Volunteer Fire Department to provide fire and emergency services within the Rural District.
The Rural District & the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority
Effective January 1, 2012, the City of Loveland and the Loveland Rural Fire Protection District entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) establishing the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority. The Loveland Fire Rescue Authority is governed by a board of directors of five individuals, two Loveland City Council members, the Loveland City Manager, and two Rural District Board members.
The Fire Authority is responsible for all fire and emergency services within the boundaries of the Loveland Rural Fire Protection District and the City of Loveland. Effective January 1, 2016, the City of Loveland transferred the Loveland Fire and Rescue Department personnel to the Fire Authority. Effective January 1, 2017, the City and the Rural District leased its fire stations and transferred its apparatus and equipment to the Fire Authority. Emergency operations of the Fire Authority within the Rural District remain similar to those operations of the Loveland Fire and Rescue Department prior to January 1, 2012.
Funding for the Fire Authority comes from both the City of Loveland and the Rural District, with the City being responsible for 80% of annual expenses, and the Rural District responsible for 20% of annual expenses. Pursuant to the IGA, the Rural District remains responsible for the funding of the expense of Big Thompson Volunteers (Now known as LFRA Volunteers) including pension obligations.
In 2005, Station 8 was constructed by the Rural District to provide an operational base for the Big Thompson Canyon Volunteer Fire Department. The Rural District also maintains one additional unmanned fire station (Station 9) which serves the Cedar Park/Storm Mountain area of the Big Thompson Canyon.