Absolutely Colorado: Amid rural fire departments battling funding shortfalls, a big Colorado utility provides some relief
CRIPPLE CREEK, Colo. (KRDO) - Fourteen rural fire departments across Colorado received more than $33,000 in grant funding through the Black Hills Corporation Foundation's 2026 Funds for Firefighters program.
The grant program provides assistance to local fire departments facing tight budgets and rising equipment costs. The financial support helps smaller, city-funded departments maintain critical life-saving tools and bridge existing funding gaps.
Among the recipients was the Cripple Creek Fire Department, which received a $2,500 grant.
Cripple Creek Fire Chief O'Conor told KRDO13 that the department operates under specific municipal constraints and lacks a dedicated tax base.
“We are small, so we rely on the city budget because we are not a fire protection district,” O'Conor said. “We do not have a fire tax. We are funded fully through the city government of Cripple Creek. Our budget was tight. It was tight when I got here almost five years ago, and it continues to be tight.”
Department operations have faced increased financial strain due to rising equipment prices across the industry. O'Conor noted that costs for standard supplies have escalated significantly.
“We have hoses that used to be a couple hundred dollars is now $500 or $600,” O'Conor said. “So with everything doubling in cost, we were really falling behind in maintaining proper equipment.”
The department used part of the grant money to acquire wildland fire shelters, providing vital safety protection during extreme wildfire conditions.
“If we are put in a position where the wildfire is going to overtake the position that we're in, this is a last ditch effort to save the lives of the firefighters,” O'Conor said.
The funds were also used to buy two new heart defibrillators to replace aging units that were approximately 20 years old. O'Conor explained that the old equipment was difficult to maintain due to daily usage.
“Like any piece of technology, it it has a lifespan and we were having more and more trouble with being harder and harder to keep them calibrated,” O'Conor said. “And we were using them every day.”
With the purchase of the new defibrillators completed, O'Conor expressed gratitude for the foundation's assistance in addressing essential operational needs.
“The nonprofit has helped wonderfully to fill that gap,” O'Conor said.
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