In a brief meeting that adjourned in under 50 minutes late Monday afternoon, the Estes Valley Fire Protection Board got through its agenda and announced it would hold a special meeting on Thursday to discuss a personnel matter.
“I am pleased to report that the investigation has concluded and that we will be holding a special meeting of the Board on Thursday, Aug. 28, at 10 a.m. to discuss issues related to the personnel matter. That agenda will be posted to the website before 10 a.m. on Wednesday.”
The EVFPD Board held an executive session on June 16 to discuss a personnel matter “for the purpose of receiving legal advice concerning complaints alleging discrimination and harassment.”
A week later, on June 23, following a special meeting, Chief Paul Capo was put on administrative leave, and Lieutenant Stacy Sutherland and Chief Jason Dillingham were named interim co-chiefs. Eleven days later, Dillingham resigned from serving as co-interim chief, and Sutherland stepped into the role as interim chief.
The Board sought an independent external human relations investigation of the personnel matter. That investigation is complete, and the Board is expected to make a public announcement on Thursday after meeting in an executive session to discuss the report’s findings.
In addition to the announcement of the special meeting, Dillingham, who continues to serve as the division chief of operations and training for Estes Park Fire, reported that the department received 539 calls in 2025, an increase of 53 calls from the same period a year ago, including the recent fire at the Haber Motel on Elkhorn, which is a suspected case of arson.
In a show of appreciation for the EVFPD’s efforts in extinguishing the fire quickly and saving the building, Dillingham reported that the Haber family bought dinner for the fire district members and came to spend some social time with the firefighters.
Over the past week, the EVFPD has responded to wildland fires on Lumpy Ridge and Devil’s Gulch, which have also involved mutual aid from other fire services.
Jon Landkamer, the division chief of support services, reported that Logan Lasley, the wildland fire risk reduction educator, has completed 158 home assessments and 12 neighborhood assessments this year and has given presentations at nine homeowner’s association meetings.
According to Sutherland, the district has a full calendar of presentations and community engagements from now through early October.