Who do I call for non-emergency assistance?

All requests for fire department response (other than scheduled fire inspections/plan reviews) are handled through the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center 24 hours a day/7 days a week.   Non-emergency: 390-5555  Emergency 9-1-1

Administrative questions/requests, such as scheduling a community event, are handled by our administrative Staff during regular business hours.

Why do fire trucks turn off their lights & sirens?

Occasionally an emergency vehicle will be dispatched for an incident which requires the use of lights and sirens, but during the response, that unit is cancelled or downgraded by other units already on-scene. Our organization only uses lights and sirens when the emergency incident severity dictates that response. To achieve this, a national system of incident severity coding is used to make the determination.

What do I do when a fire truck approaches with lights & sirens?

It is the law for you to pull to the right side of the road and stop until all emergency vehicles have passed. If you are already stopped at an intersection, please stay stopped and do not try to move out of the way. This allows for the safety of all drivers during our response.

Can I request ‘no lights & sirens’?

Our community members may always make this request; however, our system uses a priority system to determine the most appropriate response methods for emergency units. If we do determine to use lights and sirens, we will always try to turn them off when we get on your street, if requested.

What is the difference between EMT & Paramedic?

There are three levels of Emergency Medical Technicians. An EMT-Basic is able to provide basic care and basic life support to patients. EMT-Intermediates and EMT-Paramedics start as an EMT-Basic; but through additional education and training, are able to provide more advanced care and advanced life support to patients, including some invasive procedures and cardiac monitoring. All Cimarron Hills Firefighters are EMT-Basics and each shift also has an EMT-Intermediate to provide Advanced Life Support to our community.

Can I get my blood pressure checked at the fire station?

Yes, we enjoy visits from our community for any need, especially to make sure you are in good health. If you come by for a check and we are not home, feel free to come by again later. However, if you are having a medical emergency or even suspect something might be wrong, please call 9-1-1 and we will come to you.

Why do I sometimes see the fire department using water?

Our organization is dedicated to training and preparing for any type of emergency. We strive not to waste water (or any energy resource); however, we must train for the various aspects of our responses, which includes flowing water. In the fall, you may see us conducting hose testing to ensure all of our fire hose is in proper working order or working with our water department in testing the fire hydrant system.

Am I allowed to burn trash or have a recreational fire pit?

For open burning it depends on several factors, with the most important being safety to you and your neighbors, as well as what fire restrictions are in place at the time, whether or not you have a free of charge permit from the fire department, and current weather/wind conditions. For recreational fires, we do have some requirements that need to be followed. Please refer to our Community Section for more information.

Is there a fee or charge for your services?

CHFD does not charge for our response to incidents. All of the services provide by your fire department are paid for in your tax bill. If you are transported by an ambulance to a hospital, you may receive a bill from the privately owned transport agency.