Elk Creek Fire Fighters Local 4710

02/10/2026

Our hearts our heavy and we hold our brothers and sisters at West Metro Professional Firefighters in our hearts during this most difficult of times 🙏🏼

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of West Metro Fire Rescue Engineer Kyle Bartlett.

He served our community with honor for more than 26 years and was the kind of firefighter others relied on—steady, experienced, and deeply committed to the job and the people he served. Kyle took great pride in the fire service and lived by the values of brotherhood, professionalism, and service.

He was a beloved member of the West Metro family and a dedicated family man. His loss is devastating to those who knew and loved him, and he will be deeply missed.

Our thoughts are with Kyle’s family, friends, and his brothers and sisters at West Metro Fire Rescue.

01/01/2026

Grateful for Our Community 💙

This past Tuesday, December 30, members of Elk Creek Professional Firefighters Local 4710 had the opportunity to present Snowpack Taproom & Pizzeria with a small token of our appreciation.

Over the past several years, Snowpack has consistently shown up for our firefighters, our fire department, and public safety in the Conifer area. From hosting community events to supporting our efforts and standing alongside firefighters when it matters, they have been some of our strongest and most genuine supporters.

As a thank you, we presented Snowpack with an award in appreciation for their continued support of public safety and their commitment to this mountain community we all call home.

We’re incredibly grateful to have local businesses like Snowpack that believe in community, service, and taking care of those who serve others.

If you see Mike and the Snowpack crew, be sure to thank them for supporting firefighters and our community.

As we head into the New Year, we wish everyone a happy, healthy, and safe year ahead. 🎉🔥🍕

12/21/2025

Indeed! THANK YOU to those who have worked tirelessly with us these past few days!!

It’s been a long few days for our community.

Through high winds, power outages, and long nights, we’ve been reminded how much it means to show up for one another. We are deeply grateful to everyone who reached out with kind words, messages, and support - those gestures matter more than you know to our firefighters and responders. Thank you.

We also want to pause and recognize some of the quiet heroes of these past days: the lineworkers from CORE Electric Cooperative and Xcel Energy Colorado, along with all utility crews working tirelessly to restore power.

While many of us waited in the dark, they were out in difficult and often dangerous conditions - climbing poles, navigating downed lines, and working long hours to bring light, warmth, and safety back to our homes.

On this shortest day of the year, it feels fitting to acknowledge the people who quite literally help return the light.

Here’s to the return of longer days, and to the people who help bring the light back when we need it most.

THANK YOU.

⭐ AI-generated image - more artistic than literal, but the gratitude is very real.

12/20/2025

It’s been a heck of a few days for all of us here at Elk Creek Fire. But we know it’s been a heck of a few days for our community as well! Please see this good reminder from Elk Creek Fire Department and please check on those around you! Thanks for being an awesome community!

❤️ This weekend is a good time to check on one another. 🌲

With ongoing winds, power outages, and several busy days for first responders across the area, some of our neighbors may be dealing with more than just inconvenience. Power outages can impact heat, food storage, medical equipment, oxygen concentrators, phone chargers, and the ability to call for help - especially for those who are elderly, living alone, or have medical needs.

Over the past few days, our crews have responded to calls involving residents affected by power outages, including people needing warmth, food, oxygen, or medical assistance. These situations can develop quickly, which is why neighbor check-ins are so important.

If you’re able, please consider:
• Checking in on neighbors — particularly seniors or those who live alone
• Making sure they’re warm, safe, and have what they need
• Asking if they rely on medical equipment that requires power
• Helping them charge a phone or make a call if communications are limited

A quick knock on the door, a phone call, or a simple check-in can make a real difference - and in some cases, it can be lifesaving.

If you have any concerns about a neighbor’s safety, or if someone needs medical assistance or help beyond what you can provide, please don’t hesitate to call 911.

Thank you for continuing to look out for one another. Community care matters, and we’re grateful to be part of such a supportive mountain community.

❤️ Stay safe this weekend.❤️

12/11/2025

Please join Elk Creek Fire Fighters Local 4710 in supporting this GoFundMe in order to help the multiple young people and their families who were involved in this terrible motor vehicle accident on Saturday night. This incident came close to home for some of our members, so we were moved to do what we could, and we hope that anyone reading this might do the same. Blessings and quick healing to all involved. 🙏

A shout out to our brothers and sisters at West Metro Professional Firefighters, who responded to this scene. We know these are tough ones. ❤️

Support for the Central High School Wrestling Program As reporte… Zeb Hayward needs your support for Support for the Central High School Wrestling Program

12/04/2025

Local 4710 Statement on Recent Elk Creek Fire Legal Events

Elk Creek Firefighters Local 4710 represents firefighters who respond to 911 calls in this community, and our work reflects their commitment to protecting the residents of Elk Creek District and the Conifer area. Together with our volunteer brothers and sisters, we share a common mission: serving this community and building a stronger, more effective fire and emergency service system. Throughout this legal process, Local 4710 has supported a collaborative, transparent, and community-centered approach to planning the future of fire and emergency services. We have stood behind the Chiefs as they worked to make decisions grounded in public safety and responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources, and we support the district’s recent decision to end costly litigation and refocus those resources on public safety.

We’ve also been asked how firefighters feel about all of this. The truth is that if we feel any disappointment, it is that the ongoing legal battles have slowed progress toward improving service levels, staffing, and coordination for the residents we serve. Our commitment has always been to building a stronger, more effective system of fire and emergency services for this community.

In recent days, we have seen a wave of misleading and inflammatory statements online, including claims that the district “acted illegally,” that a judge “ruled against” Elk Creek Fire, or that fire leadership is engaged in “empire building.” These narratives are not grounded in fact, and they do a disservice to the community. Residents deserve better than exaggerated claims and personal agendas presented as fact.

None of these claims are supported by the actual legal record. No court found that Elk Creek Fire acted illegally. No ruling determined that the district violated any statute. In fact, the only ruling in this process was the County’s approval of the consolidation, which supported Elk Creek’s position. The recent agreement to end litigation, a consent agreement, was exactly that: a mutual decision to stop spending taxpayer dollars on an open-ended appeals process that the plaintiffs themselves stated they would pursue all the way to the Colorado Supreme Court if they did not get their preferred outcome.

Firefighters show up every day for this community. We respond to fires, medical emergencies, wildland threats, and the worst moments of people’s lives. What weakens public safety isn’t regional planning or discussions about long-term service needs - it’s misinformation that erodes trust and distracts from the real work of building a resilient, well-staffed, well-coordinated fire service.

As always, we stand united with our volunteers in our shared mission of safeguarding this community, and Local 4710 will continue leading with integrity, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to the residents who depend on us.

Elk Creek Fire Department

07/04/2025

Happy Fourth of July from the members of Local 4710! Today, we celebrate freedom, community, and the dedication of those who serve. We wish everyone a safe and joyful holiday — and remind you to celebrate safely!

07/01/2025

For those wanting to support the families of the fallen, and the Tysdal family, please consider donating to the following charity funds via the International Association of Fire Fighters below.

COEUR D’ALENE, IDAHO – Today, the fire chiefs of the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, as well as the presidents of Local 710

07/01/2025

We now know their names. Please hold their families and their fellow firefighters in your hearts. God speed brothers.

Two north Idaho firefighters and a third injured in a shooting ambush in Coeur d'Alene Sunday have been identified.

06/30/2025

💔 please keep holding Coeur d’Alene, these firefighters, and these families in your hearts.

06/30/2025

Our hearts are heavy. Please keep our brothers and sisters in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho in your hearts this evening and in the coming days. We are devastated with this tragic news.

05/29/2025

Hey everyone out there in our community, the importance of staying involved in these board meetings remains critical. Please attend if you are at all able! Thank you!

Elk Creek Fire Department

🗓️🗓️🗓️ Hello Community - A reminder that there is a special meeting of the Board of Directors of the Elk Creek Fire Protection District TONIGHT Thursday, May 29th, 2025 at 6:00pm at Elk Creek Fire Station 1 (11993 Blackfoot Rd, Conifer, CO 80433)

We welcome all interested community members to attend!

👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽 Agenda and link to virtual Zoom option can be found here: https://elkcreekfpd.colorado.gov/transparency/meeting-minutes-and-agendas

My Mountain Town
Canyon Courier
North Fork Fire Rescue
Inter-Canyon Fire Protection District
Lesley Dahlkemper