Tag Archive for: Pulse

Alexander Mountain Fire: How Pulse Kept Authorities Connected

When the Alexander Mountain Fire struck Northern Colorado, emergency communications were critical.

While other means of communication went dark, Pulse’s fiber network kept running.

The Threat

The Alexander Mountain Fire broke out in July 2024, burning nearly 10,000 acres and destroying 28 homes and 21 structures. Most of this destruction occurred in the Cedar Park area of Big Thompson Canyon.

While raging, the fire also damaged essential Pulse infrastructure, including two power poles that held aerial fiber lines. This contributed to an already potentially deadly situation, leaving community members on the verge of having communications go out in the middle of a disaster. Pulse had been monitoring the situation, and it became clear that we had to step up.

Pulse Springs to Action

We began by having Pulse teams assess the damage while the fire was still burning and determined the need to replace 10,500 feet of fiber. This took coordination between multiple city departments and contractors. Loveland Water and Power had to put new power poles in place, and then we spliced the new fiber to the existing one.

Incredibly, the damaged fiber never failed, and crews worked hard to ensure service gaps remained minimal. After all was said and done, Pulse services were only down for two minutes.

Photo of a utility pole downed due to the Alexander Mountain Fire

Downed power pole during the Alexander Mountain Fire. Although damaged, services were still operational.

Pulse also provided valuable support to Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority (LETA), including negotiating and project managing a multi-organizational backup fiber line that ran from Denver, through the Adams tunnel and into Estes Park. The 911 providers’ access to this backup line was essential because the main communications line could have gone down at any moment. A communications line going down could have prevented Estes Park residents from being able to contact emergency services.

The Importance of Municipal Broadband

Because Pulse is a municipal broadband utility, we were well-equipped to provide communications support during this disaster. Pulse showed that our expertise and community owned model gives us the opportunity to step up when it matters most.  In the information age, community connectivity is vital, and it becomes even more essential when disasters strike. Our dedication to serving the community was evident as we to supported LETA in their time of need.

In appreciation of Pulse’s assistance in keeping the flow of 911 communication going during this disaster, the Larimer County Office of Emergency Management presented Pulse with the 2024 Larimer EOC Collaboration Award. The inscription on the award reads “For your outstanding partnership and for your ongoing efforts in keeping our community safe.”

Photo of 2024 Larimer EOC Collaboration Award .

Larimer EOC Collaboration Award – 2024

USDA Awards Pulse $1M Grant to Expand Service Up the Big Thompson Canyon

 

A $1.037 million grant awarded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and their “Community Connect Program” will provide the funding needed for Pulse to expand deeper into Big Thompson Canyon.

Where We Will Build

Pulse will use the funding to connect the Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park area to high-speed, fiber optic internet and other communications including phone access. This access can be crucial to underserved communities during emergencies such as the Alexander Mountain Fire which struck the area in the summer of 2024. In addition, 223 residents and four businesses in the Cedar Cove, Bartram Park and Idlewild Lane areas will also be able to receive Pulse services, including a direct fiber line to their home or business, PulseTV, and home phone.

As part of the grant requirements, Pulse will be adding internet access at community centers within VS Mt Park and Stoney River Lodge. This means visitors and residents will have access to wireless internet connections in these public areas.

Logistics

Because the canyon falls outside of Loveland city limits Pulse partnered with Larimer County to apply for the grant and will split the cost of the required 15% match with the county.

Providing ubiquitous access to high-speed internet has been one of Pulse’s goals since our inception, and this funding helps us take a massive step towards continuing to serve our community.

Pulse already has aerial lines up parts of the Big Thompson Canyon but will start the main construction process sometime next year.

To learn more, check out this article in The Loveland Reporter Herald.

Pulse Collaborates with Local Artist Amelia Furman

When thinking about Pulse’s commitment to connecting the community, the first thing that may come to mind is that it’s the Fastest Internet in Colorado, or our commitment to volunteerism, but there’s another thing that Pulse does to connect the community; we support local!

A recent example that we’re excited about was teaming up with local artist Amelia Furman. Amelia is a Loveland based artist who creates collaborative art. In 2023, Amelia was featured at the Colorado Broadband Office’s BEAD Press Conference, held here in Loveland at Forge Campus.

The Creative Process

At the event, Amelia invited the attendees to participate in a collaborative art piece to commemorate the occasion. During the event, Pulse employees and community members drew dots paired with a number on a canvas.

“I love collaborations and community connecting types of projects, and this seemed to fit perfectly,” said Amelia when asked about why she decided to work with Pulse on the piece.

After the event Amelia took the canvas back to her studio and began connecting the dots. She then brought a vision to life by overlaying various pieces of paper material that connected with Pulse. These included drawings of fiber, pictures of internet pioneers, the Pulse logo and more.

After this Amelia continued with her unique art style where she painted over the other layers of the piece. The lower layers of  the piece continued to show through in some spots as the art began to look more like a traditional painting. The painted overlay is of an aspen grove that Amelia says is inspired by Colorado forests. The aspen grove was chosen because when Amelia began researching fiber lines, the thin, illuminative pieces of glass that deliver internet via pulses of light reminded her of the famous trees. Similarly, each individual aspen grove is one singular organism, all connected and intertwined.

Community Focus

Much like Pulse, Amelia’s art is often focused on community. She does a plethora of community projects including one that she is just finishing up for the House of Neighborly Services in Loveland.  Amelia believes in the power of community coming together and supporting each other.

“If there’s no heart and no soul in the community in the form of creativity and beauty, then it’s not a place you’re going to want to hang out,” said Amelia.

With Pulse moving into a new office, we have the unique opportunity to create a space that is both practical and comfortable. For that reason, the art will be hung in our new office as a reminder of our commitment to the spectacular community we serve.

Loveland Utilities Reminds you to Call Before you Dig

As we all continue to welcome warmer weather Pulse and Loveland Water and Power are reminding all residents to call the Colorado Utility Locator, otherwise known as Colorado 811, before doing any digging or excavation on their property. This proactive step enables residents to be informed about where utility infrastructure exists, so that people and critical utilities remain safe when work is done on residential or commercial properties.

Throughout the year, Loveland Water and Power, and Pulse deliver dependable utility services, striving to maintain service uptimes above 99%. However, instances of power and internet lines being cut or damaged by residents and contractors remain one of the most common disturbances to this reliability.

In an effort to keep everybody in the community safe and free from service outages it is essential to request locates be placed on your property three business days before you plan to do any digging. By now you might be saying to yourself, “But if I’m only digging a few inches, it shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Wrong. The Colorado Utility Locator website states: “No matter how shallow or deep you’re digging, you must contact 811 first. Colorado State law defines excavation as ‘any operation in which earth is moved or removed by any means of tools…and includes auguring, backfilling, boring, ditching, drilling, grading, plowing-in, pulling-in, ripping, scraping, trenching, hydro excavating, postholing, and tunneling”.

Utility cables can be cut or damaged when residents and contractors begin tilling gardens, trenching to install sprinkler systems, digging to put in a fence and various other landscaping projects. Utility lines from the curb to the property are only buried about a foot underground. This leaves a small margin of error for residents doing home improvement projects, which is why it is best to ensure you know the location of all utilities that may be on your property.

The City of Loveland thanks you in advance for doing your part to protect yourself, others, and the community from unexpected outages and possible line breaks by calling 811 or going online to www.colorado811.org before doing any home improvement projects that requires breaking ground.

For more information about calling 811 or for safe digging practices, residents can call the Colorado Utility Locator at 303-232-1991.