Colorado Fallen Firefighters Resource Team

UPDATE: Death of Chief Jeff Davis Platte Canyon Fire Dept.

Release of Death Notification:
It is with deepest sympathy and regret that we announce the passing of Chief Jeff Davis of Platte Canyon Fire Protection District.
Chief Davis passed away at his home on April 18th 2012 following a long and hard fought battle
with brain cancer.
Chief Davis served the fire department for over 26 years. He has been the Chief of Platte Canyon
Fire Department for the past 13 years. He was respected by all who knew him. Everyone is deeply saddened by his death.
Chief Davis has been an inspiration to all whom were privileged to have known him. Chief Davis’ innovation and progressive attitude shall leave a legacy that shall never be forgotten. Our condolences go out to his family and to all who had the privilege and honor of working with him and knowing him.
Effective immediately, badge covers are authorized to be worn for the next thirty calendar days.
This will be a full honor service with dates and times to be announced.
Arrangements are as follows:

Services will be April 28th at 2pm, at Platte Canyon Community Church located on the Platte River in the town of Bailey, Colorado.  Take County Road 64 – just a block past the junction of 64 and U.S 285. (Turn left at the Conoco  on Hwy 285 and follow that road to the church.)
Reception following Service
Platte Canyon Station 2
153 Delwood Dr.
Bailey, CO 80421
Those departments that wish to attend and/or participate in the service must contact Lt. Dan Ross to confirm your intentions. (303-507-3637 or danrosspcfd@gmail.com)
Please provide the following information to Lt. Dan Ross:
 Will your department be sending an apparatus?
If so, what type?
 Will any staff or personnel be attending?
If so, how many and whom?
Due to restrictions on space, we are requesting one apparatus per department.

Free class to help you be prepared, for the hardest and most important thing you’ll ever do.

Are YOU prepared? For the unthinkable?

What would you do if one of your Firefighters
was killed in the line of duty? Will you know what to
do if it happens to a member of your department?

To honor..
with Dignity and Reverence

Everything that happens immediately
after a Line of duty death affects the
way the family, department, and community
recover from the loss. Lack of resources and planning often add to the confusion and pain that occurs.Our team is here to help you.

We offer classes free of charge to help you be prepared. To make sure you have a plan, all paper work is in order, as well as all personnel beneficiary forms up to date and understand what is need to be able to file for the Public Safety Officers Benefits, which is over $300,000.00
So this process goes smoothly. Having things in order, a plan in place, and knowing who to call for help, will help make this horrible event go much smoother and will be easier to handle. The work we do includes
all fire departments, volunteer, career, or combination, plus Public EMS entities, and we would be more than willing to help the Police and Sheriffs departments also if they’d like.you are trying to grieve the loss. Let us help, we are not here to come in and take over to offer guidance and help.

Our classes will help you be prepared if this was to happen to your department. We will help you have a plan in place and all paper work filled out and in order.

Some of the mistakes made at the scene of the Line of Duty have caused the family their benefits, don’t let this happen to you.

All our services are free of charge, including our classes, being deployed to a Line of Duty Death, anywhere in the State of Colorado we are here to help you through a very tough time.

In the fire service we train for hours on fire suppression, EMS, water rescue and much much more, why not train for this, so you can be prepared. Please call and set up your class soon as our calender is filling up.

Please contact: rnelson@coffrt.org
for more information

Will you know what to do if it happens to a member of your department?

In the Line Of Duty

The Colorado fallen Firefighters Resource Team makes themselves available to departments who have been stricken with a loss. Team members are trained in many aspects. One of the main focuses our group takes is in relationship to a Line Of Duty loss.

In the case of a LODD, there are many necessary notifications on a Federal and State level that are required to be made. Team members are trained to assist departments with the proper notifications as well as the Federal paperwork process that will follow in the weeks and months to come.

Several team members have been trained by Bureau of Justice, on proper procedures and filing of federal benefit paperwork. This relationship facilitates ongoing training necessary to be proficient when dealing with Line Of Duty Deaths, and allows for a prompt response to agencies suffering a loss.

To Honor with Dignity                                                                                   

When a line of duty death occurs, and on request of the agency sustaining the loss, the team would be deployed immediately. The team serves in a behind the scene capacity and offers suggestions based on what the department needs are, as well as, the needs of the firefighter family. Team members have a time line of things that need to be done within hours of the tragedy to insure the ability to maximize benefits and assist the agency with some of the necessary legalities that occur with a line of duty death. The team stays in place at the agency, sometimes for several days, usually until the funeral services are completed.
The duties of the team do not end there, they provide information to the department on an as needed basis to assist the family and department beyond the funeral services.

A funeral service guide has been established to assist the family and department in choosing options to fit the services they desire. Funeral ceremony protocols are provided for use if desired as well. Our team utilizes the incident command system. Once again, our team members serves in a behind the scene capacity, leaving the members of the stricken department as the “front” people for the services.

With Reverence                                                                                                             

Another job of our team is to be versed on available benefits available to the fallen firefighters family. These MAY include free funeral services through the Dignity Memorial Network, local organizations that provide aid to the family as well as scholarship assistance to any children of the deceased. We can assist with paperwork to qualify the deceased for placement on the State of Colorado Memorial, the National Memorial Monument, the IAFF Memorial Wall and some local memorial sites as well.

Why Should I Call?

Did you know that under certain circumstances, heart attacks and strokes that occur within 24 hours of a strenuous duty related event may qualify for Federal benefits. Currently this federal benefit is very large. We know of departments that did not consider this, and this benefit was not available to the family of the deceased.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION AS TO EVEN THE MOST REMOTE POSSIBILITY SOMEONE MAY QUALIFY, PLEASE CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY.

These are just some of the items we can provide to you. All of our services are provided to you AT NO COST!
Our team can also assist you with non LODD services as well.