Boulder Rural Fire Rescue

What Boulder Rural Fire Rescue does

Boulder Rural Fire Rescue (formal legal name: Boulder Rural Fire Protection District) is a Colorado special district and political subdivision of the State of Colorado, providing fire suppression, emergency medical services, and community safety programming to residents within its defined boundaries in northern Boulder County. Founded in 1957 and operating from a single station at 6230 Lookout Road, Boulder, the district has 11–50 employees and has been led by Fire Chief Daniel Kauffman since his recent appointment. Core emergency services include 24/7 ambulance transport (since 2020) staffed with Paramedic and EMT teams delivering Advanced Life Support and Basic Life Support, plus 911-dispatched fire and rescue response across the district.

The district's service portfolio extends beyond emergency response into community education and public health programs. These include free CPR and babysitting safety classes (the latter at $50 for non-residents), free car seat inspections by nationally certified technicians, the Truman's Treasures free medical and mobility equipment lending program (wheelchairs, walkers, knee scooters, shower chairs), the File of Life magnetic medical information card program, fire code permits and inspections under the 2021 International Fire Code, the Boulder County Open Burning permit portal managed in partnership with the Sheriff's Office, ride-along programs, free meeting room rentals for non-profit community groups, and the annual Women in the Fire Service Skills Day.

BRFR is funded primarily through property tax revenue within its statutory district, supplemented by ambulance transport billing (outsourced to Quick Med Claims), donations (checks and Venmo), and nominal fees for non-resident program participants. As a special district, it is governed by an elected board of directors with no parent company, private equity involvement, or institutional ownership. The organization uses standard public-safety technology infrastructure — ImageTrend for EMS records, Vector Scheduling, CrewSense, Streamline for web/transparency, and Everbridge for emergency notifications — and has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities.

Name

Boulder Rural Fire Rescue

Legal name

Boulder Rural Fire Protection District

Website

https://brfr.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Boulder Rural Fire Rescue is a Colorado special district providing 24/7 fire suppression, ALS ambulance transport, and community safety programs (CPR classes, equipment lending, car seat inspections) to residents of northern Boulder County, funded primarily by property taxes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Ambulance Services (62191)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL), Fire Prevention, Inspection & Code Enforcement (Life Safety) (BPAIAGAL), Wildfire Suppression & Incident Response (AFAMAEAE), Evacuation, Shelter, Mass Care & Family Reunification (HLAJAGAG)

Keywords

• Fire protection services
• Emergency medical services
• Ambulance transport
• Community safety education
• Fire inspections

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Emergency Medical Services Transport: Ambulance transport services provided 24/7 to district residents, staffed with Paramedic and EMT teams providing Advanced Life Support and Basic Life Support.
2. Donations: Accepts donations via check and Venmo to support public education programs, safety initiatives, and community support services. Donations help maintain free and reduced-cost community programs.
3. Program Fees: Babysitting classes offered at $50 for non-residents; CPR classes free for residents and at reduced cost for non-residents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Boulder Rural Fire Rescue delivers 24/7 fire suppression and emergency medical response, including ambulance transport staffed by Paramedic and EMT teams providing Advanced Life Support and Basic Life Support. Beyond emergency response, the district operates a portfolio of community safety programs such as Truman's Treasures medical equipment lending, CPR and babysitting classes, car seat inspections, fire code permits and inspections, File of Life medical information cards, meeting room rentals, and Everbridge-powered community emergency alerts.

Product overview

Boulder Rural Fire Rescue provides a comprehensive portfolio of emergency response and community safety services. Core services include 24/7 ambulance transport staffed with Paramedics and EMTs, fire suppression, and emergency medical response. The organization complements its emergency services with community health and education programs including CPR and babysitting classes, car seat inspections, and Truman's Treasures medical equipment lending program. Additional services include fire code permits and inspections, open burning program management, File of Life medical information cards, ride-along programs, meeting room rentals, emergency alert notifications via Everbridge, and the annual Women in the Fire Service Skills Day training event. These services are delivered through a special district model serving Boulder County, Colorado, with operations funded through property taxes and donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 24/7 Ambulance Service Round-the-clock ambulance transport service staffed with two-person medical teams (a Paramedic and an EMT) providing Advanced Life Support and Basic Life Support for emergency medical transport across the district.
• Truman's Treasures Medical Mobility Loan Program Free medical and mobility equipment lending program providing wheelchairs, walkers, knee scooters, canes, crutches, shower chairs, and stair-assist canes to residents recovering from surgery, injury, or mobility challenges.
• CPR Classes Friends & Family CPR classes providing hands-on training in CPR and AED use for community members; non-certification classes, free for district residents and at reduced cost for non-residents.
• Babysitting Classes Safety courses teaching childcare skills, safety techniques, and CPR for babysitters; available to district residents free and to non-residents at $50.
• Car Seat Inspections and Installations Free child car seat installation and inspection services provided by certified technicians who have completed 40-hour national curriculum training, including virtual checks via CarSeats Colorado.
• Permits and Inspections Fire code permits, building plan reviews, inspections, and fire investigations; the district has adopted the 2021 International Fire Code with Boulder County amendments.
• Open Burning Program Boulder County open burn permit management through online portal and hotline system for slash pile burns, open burns, and agricultural burns in unincorporated Boulder County.
• File of Life Program Magnetic medical information cards for refrigerators containing health history, medications, allergies, and emergency contacts for use by firefighters and paramedics during 911 calls.
• Meeting Room Rentals Fire station meeting rooms (Training Room and Board Room) available free of charge for non-profit community organizations.
• Emergency Alerts Everbridge-powered emergency alert system allowing Boulder County residents to receive urgent notifications about emergencies and public safety situations via QR code signup.
• Donations Program Donation program supporting public education programs, safety initiatives, and community support services; accepts contributions via check and Venmo.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Frederick-Firestone Fire DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInspired the Truman's Treasures medical equipment lending program. Kristen's Closet at Frederick-Firestone Fire District demonstrated the meaningful impact of providing free medical equipment to communities, leading BRFR to establish their similar program.
• Quick Med ClaimscoreOthersHandles ambulance billing and claims processing for emergency medical transportation services. Contact: 1-800-367-9111 for billing inquiries.
• ChartSwapcoreOthersProvides legal records request processing for patient care records. Used for medical records requests related to EMS transports.
• Boulder County Sheriff's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on the Open Burning program revamped in 2024. The new Open Burning Portal and public burn map are managed through Boulder County's online system for permits and notifications.
• Wildfire PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVoluntary wildfire mitigation program introduced in 2014 to help homeowners prepare for wildfire. BRFR represents the program locally and has over 20 homeowners currently participating.
• CarSeats ColoradominorOthersProgram coordinator Angel Giffin provides virtual car seat checks as an alternative option to in-person inspections at the fire station.
• StreamlinecoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite platform technology provider for special districts. Powers the BRFR website with content management, meeting schedules, and district transparency reporting.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Longmont Fire Department: Municipal fire department operating fire suppression, ALS ambulance transport, and prevention services within adjacent Boulder County communities. Functions as a direct peer in service mix though organized as a city department rather than a special district.
• North Metro Fire Rescue District: Large combined fire and EMS special district serving communities north of Denver and into Boulder County's eastern reaches. Comparable integrated fire/EMS model with broader scale, providing a useful benchmark for BRFR's potential service-line expansion.
• Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District: A neighboring Colorado fire protection district that operates combined fire and EMS services in the Frederick/Firestone area. BRFR directly credits this district's 'Kristen's Closet' program as the inspiration for its own Truman's Treasures equipment-lending initiative, making it the closest functional and operational peer.
• Mountain View Fire Rescue: A combined fire and EMS special district serving eastern Boulder County communities. Comparable in scope (integrated fire/EMS), funding model (special district / property tax), and service breadth (response, prevention, community programs) to BRFR.
• Boulder County Fire (BCF): The primary neighboring fire authority providing coordinated services in unincorporated Boulder County areas. BRFR's homepage references boco fire for EMS protocols, indicating tight operational alignment and shared response geography.

Broad incumbents

• Falck USA: Global EMS and ambulance provider with significant Colorado operations. Relevant peer as a private-sector incumbent that competes for ALS-trained personnel and illustrates the alternative delivery model for the ambulance services BRFR runs in-house.
• American Medical Response (AMR): The largest private ambulance and EMS provider in Colorado and the U.S. While BRFR operates its own transport, AMR shapes the regional market for ALS staffing, billing practices (Quick Med Claims processes BRFR's billing), and competitive labor pool.

Others

• Wildfire Partners: Program partner that BRFR represents locally for voluntary home wildfire mitigation. As an ecosystem player, it defines the mitigation standards and grant funding BRFR's wildfire program accesses, making it an adjacent rather than directly comparable peer.
• International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC): Industry and professional association for fire service leaders. Functions as a peer/ecosystem reference for BRFR's chief-level training, standards (NFPA, code adoption), and benchmarking against similarly sized districts nationally.

Regional players

• Louisville Fire Department: Municipal fire/EMS agency serving the City of Louisville immediately adjacent to BRFR's district. Provides mutual-aid context and comparable ALS-capable response standards within Boulder County.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/boulderruralfd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Boulder Rural Fire Rescue