Rick Balentine is currently the Fire Chief and CEO of the Aspen Fire Protection District in Aspen, Colorado where he leads a combination of career and volunteer firefighter professionals. The district consists of 87 square miles in the heart of the White River National Forest and protects $60 Billion of assessed values at risk in the wildland-urban interface.

Chief Balentine believes in embracing new and emerging technology and strategies to defend against the growing threat of wildfires. AFPD was the first in the state to partner with an artificial intelligence startup that helps with early detection of wildfires and provide real time monitoring of wildfires to boots on the ground.

Pairing this kind of technology with proactive wildfire mitigation techniques can help reduce the destructive potential of wildfires while protecting our landscapes, communities, and firefighters.

 In 2023 Chief Balentine was appointed as a member of The Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code Board, which was established, among other things, to adopt minimum wildfire codes and standards based on best practices to reduce the risk to life and property from the devastating effects of wildfires statewide.