Dino A. Ross

Dino Ross leads Ireland Stapleton’s Special Districts Practice Group.

Dino has dedicated his more than 30 years of practice to providing legal services to many of Colorado’s fire protection districts, fire authorities, ambulance districts, and emergency dispatch agencies, which provide critical, life-saving emergency services to Colorado’s communities. He helps these emergency services agencies navigate a wide array of complex federal, state, and local laws in providing their critical public services, so their communities can thrive.

On a daily basis, he advises Boards and management on issues relating to the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act; the Colorado Open Records Act; the Colorado Open Meetings Law; budget, finance, and audit laws; financing mechanisms, such as lease-purchase agreements, bond issuances, and certificates of participation; TABOR issues; regular and special election rules and procedures; all aspects of negotiating and drafting contracts and intergovernmental agreements with vendors, contractors, and governmental agencies; negotiating and drafting construction contracts; legal issues arising during the construction of fire stations and training/maintenance facilities; fire code enforcement; inclusions and exclusions of property and related boundary issues; all aspects of regular, special, and emergency Board meeting procedures; Board governance; the purchase, sale, or lease of real property; the purchase or sale of fire apparatus and emergency vehicles and equipment; organizing, merging, or consolidating fire protection districts; creating fire authorities; and all aspects of litigation support.

Dino also helps emergency services agencies navigate the often complex aspects of public employment and labor law, including hiring or appointment of employees and volunteers; day-to-day employment and benefit issues; developing or up-dating employment related forms, job descriptions, manuals, and standard operating procedures; employment agreements, non-disclosure agreements, and severance agreements; supervisory counseling and disciplinary actions; labor-management relations and collective bargaining; and, all aspects of employment and labor related litigation and administrative proceedings.

Dino supports Colorado’s emergency services agencies on a Statewide level by providing pro bono legal services in connection with laws being considered or enacted by the Colorado Legislature each year that affect the provision of emergency services in Colorado.