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I <br /> / <br /> ;..r^''iSouthwestern Highway 115 Fire Protection District <br /> i,lth;;= 15580 Cala Rojo Dr., Colorado Springs, 1410 <br /> CO 80926 <br /> ` ?;J-#. (719) 538-4787 Email •swhwy115vfd gmail.com "t 0,\6 <br /> ` . ; 0 Q� 0 <br /> April 14,2016 6440414)° <br /> Ms. Amy Eschberger <br /> Colorado Division of Reclamation.Mining and Safety <br /> 1313 Sherman St. Denver Co. 80203 <br /> Re: Application No. M-2016-010 Quarry on hitch rack ranch, El Paso County Co. <br /> As Fire Chief for the Southwestern Highway 115 Fire Protection District, it is my sworn duty to <br /> protect the citizens of our district. In my 15 years on this fire department,I have seen many <br /> different hazards.One of my jobs is to identify and mitigate any and all hafards before they <br /> become a threat to lite or property. This proposed project has many potential hazards forcing the <br /> district to oppose its permitting: some must be addressed at the state level and some will need to <br /> be addressed at the county level. <br /> Safety of our residents is our primary concern.The fire district must have access to the 36 <br /> properties which are located above the quarry.This need for access is not optional: we must be <br /> able to access these properties without delay 24/7. The proposed operation could shut down the <br /> only road access. In Transit Mix's own words"without notice,whenever they see a need, at any <br /> time of the day, for a minimum of 1 hour up to 24 hours". This is unacceptable and will not be <br /> tolerated. If this were to be permitted you would be denying the residents access to basic fire and <br /> emergency services. In a medical emergency.time is of the essence. There are approximately 8- <br /> 10 full-time residents living above the proposed quarry site,of those approximately 90%are <br /> above the age of 50.This puts them in the highest risk category for suffering a potentially fatal <br /> medical emergency. 'Hie Golden Hour"is not just a buzz word,time saves lives.The number of <br /> residents in the area increases dramatically in the summer months. There are no good <br /> alternatives for fire and emergency services access,due to the fact this entire area is in a canyon. <br /> Typically we can mitigate time issues through the use of a medical helicopter: however this may <br /> not be possible due to the quarry operation. <br /> In a fire scenario,time is no less crucial.This entire area of the Front Range has been determined <br /> to be in the"extreme tire danger"category by the Colorado Forest Service. This proposed site <br /> sits in the mouth of a very steep canyon making access difficult and the potential for fire spread <br /> significant.There are no good water sources for initial fire attack. Any fire in the area would <br /> become unmanageable by ground forces in a very short time.The Waldo Canyon Fire is a prime <br /> example of the type of fire potential in this entire area,the terrain and fuels are similar. <br /> Another glaring hazard to anyone traveling this stretch of Highway 115 would be the impact on <br /> traffic.The quarry plans to install their road entrance on a blind corner which is considered one <br /> of the most dangerous curves located in our district. This entrance would cause the quarry to <br /> have hundreds of trucks a day turning left onto a two-lane highway with traffic traveling <br /> 60MPH. These trucks weigh on average 40-50 tons when loaded to capacity,due to this they are <br /> unable to stop quickly or accelerate quickly.This will cause these trucks to impede the flow of <br />