TO: John.Suthers@coloradosprings.gov AllCouncil@coloradosprings.gov

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CC: oliviaprentzel@coloradosun.com, newsroom@denverpost.com, newsroom@coloradosun.com, larry@coloradosun.com, news@cpr.org, dan.beedie@krdo.com, news@kktv.com, kblanco@kktv.com, lmartin@kktv.com, krdonews@krdo.com,staci-lyn.onofre@krdo.com, news@koaa.com, news@fox21news.com, jcole@fox21news.com, mary.shinn@gazette.com, radionews@krdo.com, s.harrison@krdo.com, dan.beedie@krdo.com, Mayo.Davison@koaa.com, andy.koen@koaa.com, zubeck@csindy.com, micki.trost@state.co.us, Governorpolis@state.co.us, shindi@denverpost.com, lcolacioppo@denverpost.com, jim.carlton@wsj.com, mike.morgan@state.co.us, marc.snyder.house@state.co.us, senatorpetelee@gmail.com,Governorpolis@state.co.us, westsidewatchcos@gmail.com

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Dear Mayor Suthers & City Council,

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We respectfully request that you:

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• Dismiss the City-proposed fire ordinance which is woefully inadequate and does not address resident concerns.

• Pass the Clearance Evacuation Time - Public & Life Safety Ordinance proposed on 11/22/2021 which mandates:

  • that every resident can look up their clearance evacuation by address on a website that every resident can look up and print their evacuation route maps, plural emphasized, for hazards coming from all 4 cardinal directions.

  • that developers and the city must conduct clearance evacuation impact analyses both the site location as well as the larger impact of the district as a whole.

  • that problems with the impact must be mitigated (i.e. configuration/design changes or added egress).

  • that current CETs be established.

  • that adequate egress exist or be created.

• Begin conducting city-wide custom traffic evacuation studies every 5 years.

• Keep those studies fresh and current by implementing the usage of the FREE FLEET evacuation modeling software, and report our clearance evacuation times to us as well as publish the route maps for various scenarios in the event of a wildfire or other emergencies.

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One of nation's top fire fighter leaders, Dan Dallas, said this about the CET-Public & Life Safety Ordinance:

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"Mass Evacuations in the Boulder area Marshall Fire were a problem.  They got lucky on timing and everybody got out, but this is why advanced evacuation modeling to identify and correct egress problems as well as reporting clearance times and maps with safe spots identified, in advance, is a wise approach.  People should know how long it is going to take them to get out and have maps in these chaotic fires that are all too prevalent.  We have been incredibly lucky - and luck is a dangerous bet to keep playing."

 

 - Dan Dallas, Type 1 Incident Commander for The Marshall Fire (CO's largest in structures lost), Cameron Peak/East Troublesome Fires (1st and 2nd largest CO fires in acreage), Pine Gulch (3rd biggest CO fire in acreage)

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Our safety should be your number one concern. We elected you to vote in our best interests.

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Respectfully,

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