Loveland, CO, Fire Rescue Authority Head Quits as Recall Loomed

Loveland Fire Rescue Authority Board Chairman Jeff Swanty resigned Friday morning from his positions on the authority board and the Loveland Rural Fire Protection District Board, according to an emailed statement.

Swanty wrote that after 30 years in public service, it is now time to step down, according to an email sent to members of both boards that was forwarded to the Loveland Reporter-Herald by Swanty.

” … The time has come for me to hang up my spurs and move on,” Swanty wrote. “Effective today, I am resigning from both boards.”

In an interview with the Loveland Reporter-Herald Friday afternoon, Swanty, who has served as chairman of the LFRA Board since 2012, said he wasn’t planning on pursuing another term last year, but that he was talked into it.

“It’s very demanding and it’s eaten up a lot of time and I’m just ready,” he said. “I want to leave having all good memories and saying positive things about all the people I’ve worked with, from the public, to the firefighters, to boards, to city council.”

In the emailed statement, Swanty highlighted some of the major changes the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority has undergone during his time involved with the department, including tripling the department’s budget and expanding the number of staff members and stations.

“Over the years, it has been highly rewarding to witness the growth and development of LFRA,” Swanty wrote. “The continued collaboration between the City and the Rural District has enabled both entities to effectively serve the community.”

He wrote that in 2011, only two years after he was appointed to the Loveland Rural Fire Protection District Board, that the department’s budget was $8.4 million. In 2012, the city of Loveland and the Loveland Rural Fire Protection District entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement, establishing the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority, which is now governed by the LFRA board, which Swanty was chairman of.

“By 2025, LFRA’s budget has increased to $27.5 million,” he wrote. “During this time, four new fire stations have been constructed, including three within the Rural Fire District.”

He also wrote that the rural district’s contribution has also increased over the years, from $985,000 in 2011 to $7,908,235 in 2025. The city of Loveland and the rural district split the authority’s expenses 80/20, respectively. However, the rural district has given more than outlined in the agreement to support staffing and create career advancement opportunities, Swanty wrote. The rural district was supposed to contribute $4,739,225 last year, but that ended up being $7,908,235, he wrote.

Swanty said that when a fire authority is ran correctly, there should be no need for a fire district.

“If everybody’s playing fair, the city is paying their fair share, the rural is paying their fair share, the fire authority model is a great model,” Swanty said.

“Both boards should be proud of what has been accomplished, especially in the face of challenges such as COVID and the loss of food sales tax revenue,” he wrote.

He ended his statement by saying he was grateful for the support members of both board’s have shown him, as well as the community and Loveland Fire Rescue Authority staff members.

“It has been especially encouraging to see the level of collaboration and unity in recent months,” wrote Swanty, whose term on the rural board was through May 2029.

The Loveland Fire Rescue Authority Board was recently under fire for placing former Loveland Fire Chief Tim Sendelbach on paid administrative leave in January, which led to a joint separation from the department in March. A rural district resident also announced last month that she and other residents started the process of recalling Loveland Rural Fire Protection Board members Swanty and Paul Bukowski.

Swanty wrote that he became a LRFPD board member the same year Randy Mirowski was appointed as Loveland's fire chief in 2009, and added that Mirowski's leadership and vision were instrumental in establishing the LFRA in 2012. Mirowski was recently appointed as interim chief by the LFRA Board while the board conducts the search for the authority's next chief.

In the emailed statement, Swanty didn't mention what would happen to his position as board chairman, nor which Loveland Rural Fire Protection District board member would be stepping up in his place on the LFRA board.

The LFRA Board's next meeting is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. April 30.

Swanty hopes that whoever takes on the position next is a consensus builder that knows the importance of working with both the city, and the rural district.

Thank you again for the opportunity to serve alongside you," Swanty wrote. "It has been a truly meaningful experience.

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