The GJRFPD (the “District”) was formed in 1944 to provide fire protection to much of unincorporated Mesa County (excluding the Fruita / Gateway / Collbran / Mesa areas). At that time, and for a period of years afterwards, the District had an inventory of firefighting equipment and was largely volunteer in nature, managed by a five-member volunteer board. Several years later the District was formally organized as a Title 32 Special District, continuing to function as the Grand Junction Rural Fire Protection District.
Unfortunately, early District history is not readily available and was mostly dependent on board members who were still alive in the 1980s and 90s (all of whom are now deceased), but sometime during the late 1990’s the District partnered with the City of Grand Junction (the “City”) to provide fire fighting services (ambulance services were largely private-based at that time). As the relationship became more formalized, ultimately the District sold or donated all of its inventory with firefighting staffing provided by the City.
In the late 1990s the District Board became interested and heavily involved in the effort to build a fire station on the Redlands; the area had grown extensively and a fire station was the subject of a great deal of discussion. The City of Grand Junction was in favor of the station, but funding was limited. However, the community wanted a fire station on the Redlands sooner than later, so the District entered into an agreement to provide some funding for equipment and personnel from the authorized property tax mill levy.
A ballot initiative to create the Redlands Sub-District with an increased mill levy was successfully brought to the Redlands community in 2002. Voters were asked to increase the mill levy on their property tax as well as provide an additional mill levy to the overall GJRFPD. This dual-mill levy funding was continued through 2022. Voters in the Redlands approved the dissolution of the Redlands Sub-District as of December 31, 2022 since it had fulfilled its original purpose for being formed.
The goal of the District Board is to ensure that the funding revenues received are managed responsibly to professionally deliver the fire and EMS/ambulance services required as specified in the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) contract with the City of Grand Junction.