Denver Metro Fire Apparatus

[Guest]

Fleet Van

   

[Guest]

The new Engine 9, one of four 2012 Pierce Velocity pumpers purchased

   

[Guest]

Engine 20 in their 2008 Pierce Velocity

   

[Dickey]

I don't understand the different "metro" departments...West Metro, South Metro, Southwest Metro.....



How many metros are there and how big are their response areas? Are they private companies or a cooperation of the municipalities?

[chief60]

They appear to be municipal cooperations. Go to tonesliders website, they are linked there and he has a great site covering the area.

[Guest]

Does anyone have any photos of apparatus from the smaller Denver area departments like Georgetown, Idaho Springs or Silver Plume?

[Image7801]

[quote name='Dickey' timestamp='1341606969' post='491373']

I don't understand the different "metro" departments...West Metro, South Metro, Southwest Metro.....



How many metros are there and how big are their response areas? Are they private companies or a cooperation of the municipalities?

[/quote]



These Fire Districts are called [url="http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/DOLA-Main/CBON/1251594652456"]Special Districts[/url]. They are similar to municipalities, except they cover their own specific geographic areas and collect specific taxes through mill levies set through votes, etc... This is similar to School Districts, Parks and Rec Districts, etc... They are generally governed by their own Boards of Directors, who approve expenditures, budgets, etc... In many cases in Colorado, special districts exist in unincorporated areas (i.e. those areas not within the annexed area of Cities), or were in existence before Cities were founded. In West Metro's case, it is a special district that covers much of the west part of the Denver Metro Area, including the incorporated City of Lakewood and unincorporated Jefferson County. Two of the three Departments that combined to make up West Metro (Lakewood FPD and Bancroft FPD) have existed since 1937 and 1947, respectively, well before Lakewood incorporated (1969). That's pretty much why they still exist. In Arizona you have special Fire Districts (Sun City, Sun City West, Sun Lakes, etc...) that cover areas of Metro Phoenix that are basically unincorporated "Cities" which receive municipal services through several entities (generally fire through their own district, law enforcement through contracts, generally with the Maricopa County SD, water from private companies, etc...). Like in Colorado, fire services are taxed through a special taxing district.

[Guest]

[quote name='Rescue131' timestamp='1341617805' post='491388']

Does anyone have any photos of apparatus from the smaller Denver area departments like Georgetown, Idaho Springs or Silver Plume?

[/quote]



Those areas are considered outside of the Denver metro area but I do have a photo shoot scheduled for those towns in a couple months. They all fall under the "Clear Creek County Fire Authority" and each station is getting a new 2012 International / Rosenbauer pumper / tanker. The current fleet is mixed and some of the rigs are very old. The CCCFA asked that I wait to get photos until the new rigs are in place, there were some rumors that some of the engines don't meet NFPA requirements right now.



Fellow buff Rick Luebke has captured some of their apparatus over the years, here is a gallery of his stuff... [media]http://www.flickr.com/photos/ral11us/sets/72157607700975761/[/media]

[Guest]

[quote name='Dickey' timestamp='1341606969' post='491373']

I don't understand the different "metro" departments...West Metro, South Metro, Southwest Metro.....



How many metros are there and how big are their response areas? Are they private companies or a cooperation of the municipalities?

[/quote]



Right now we have 3 "Metros" North, South & West. All of them are public taxed special districts. Fire district consolidation is a growing trend here and the smart ones are becoming a "metro" of some kind to more easily identify where the district is.



I work for South Metro which covers 175 square miles of two counties and 7 incorporated cities with 17 firehouses. [url="http://5280fire.com/?page_id=8988"]http://5280fire.com/?page_id=8988[/url]



West Metro covers 110 squre miles of two counties and 2 incorporated cities with 15 firehouses. [url="http://5280fire.com/?page_id=94"]http://5280fire.com/?page_id=94[/url]



North Metro covers 115 square miles of FIVE counties and 3 incoperated cities with 8 firehouses. [url="http://5280fire.com/?page_id=5884"]http://5280fire.com/?page_id=5884[/url]



Here's the confusing part... There are other fire protection districts that have consolidated together but have general names. Without research you'd have no idea what part of the city they're from.



Mountain View Fire covers 184 squre miles of three counties and 6 incorperated cities with 7 firehouses. [url="http://5280fire.com/?page_id=5752"]http://5280fire.com/?page_id=5752[/url]



Rocky Mountain Fire covers 65 square miles of two counties and 3 incorperated cities with 5 firehouses. [url="http://www.rockymountainfire.org/index.htm"]http://www.rockymountainfire.org/index.htm[/url]

[Roto-Ray]

Great information so far, but what's the difference between an incorporated and unincorporated city in CO?

[Guest]

[quote name='Roto-Ray' timestamp='1341675516' post='491451']

Great information so far, but what's the difference between an incorporated and unincorporated city in CO?

[/quote]



Oh boy... As I understand it being incorporated basically means there is a structured government with elected officials including a mayor & city council and laws. There are tons of unincorporated cities / towns that have a name on the map and a post office but fall under the county government. It's very costly to incorporate a city so nearly all of the small ones simply don't do it.



Another thing we have are Metro Districts... These fall under county government but they have their own HOA boards and what ever public services they can afford. The largest one is called Highlands Ranch which is in Douglas County, on the south side of the Denver area. Douglas County Sheriff does all law enforcement and all couny laws apply, but there are added homeowners association rules that the Metro District enforces. The county does all road maintenance, but the metro district does all the landscaping, water and sewer.



I mentioned in the earlier post about fire districts... Littleton Fire Rescue provides fire and medical to the Highlands Ranch Metro District who contracts with them for service. LFR also provides service to the City of Littleton and the Littleton Fire Protection District. Each of those 3 entities have members on the LFR board to make decisions. This link provides a map to show how messed up it is. [url="http://www.littletongov.org/fire/districtsmap.asp"]http://www.littleton...istrictsmap.asp[/url] The blue, yellow & green outline represent the 3 separate districts all covered by LFR.



In the case of the Highlands Ranch Metro District they want their name on LFR's rigs, so the apparatus in the ranch say "Highlands Ranch" real big on the front doors and on the rear compartment very small it says "Operated by Littleton Fire Rescue."

   



This engine is marked differenlty because its not stationed in Highlands Ranch, yet both of these rigs are staffed by the same FD.

   



Clear as mud?

[Guest]

[quote name='Toneslider12' timestamp='1341559327' post='491317']

One of the current Pierce Saber reserves. Not sure which one this was originally, could be 9, 12, 26 or 27



[/quote]



That looks like former E9, the 9 was still visible on the officers front corner last time I saw it.

[Guest]

[quote name='SFD Probie' timestamp='1341683915' post='491468']

That looks like former E9, the 9 was still visible on the officers front corner last time I saw it.

[/quote]



Good catch Brian, I just zoomed in on the original and it is 9's.

[Guest]

Another photo I missed from the shops... Ex-Engine 13 and Ex-Squrt 10. I'm not sure if all of these are going to auction or if they're just being kept outside becuase the maintenance bays were 100% full of frontline rigs.

   

[Guest]

Ex-Engine 8 / Ex-Engine 30, this one has been very stripped down and is being auctioned off.

   

[Guest]

Engine 24 pumping at a recent job

   

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Engine 24 front view

   

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Engine 25 working the same job

   

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Truck 8

   

[Guest]

HAMER 1 running in their reserve