Denver Metro Fire Apparatus

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HAMER 1 reserve parked on South Broadway at a structure fire, downtown Denver skyline in the background.

   

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Sable Altura Engine 41, Ex-West Adams County E43 / Ex-North Metro Fire Rescue E63

   

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West Metro Paramedic Engine 14

   

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North Metro Tower 66

   

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North Metro Fire Rescue Crash 65, housed at the Rocky Mountain Metro Airport

   

[npfd801]

[quote name='Image7801' timestamp='1341639340' post='491426']

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.

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Not that many will care, but much of Illinois is set up this way. For the most part, fire departments are either municipal and are funded by city taxes, and answer to city government and have to "share" the same revenue stream, or they are "fire protection districts" with their own taxes and governed by a board of trustees that run the fiscal end and handle oversight of the chief. As an example my fire district covers the southern half a of an incorporated village, rural area of our county, and areas within the city of Rockford that haven't been annexed into the city. There are a few other models of how a fire department can be run in the state, but they're rare. Some others are corporations, etc.



My opinion, the primary advantages of such districts are they we don't compete with other agencies for our budget annually, and since we're all property tax funded, we don't get the same swings in revenue a sales tax driven budget would see during a bad economy. We're actually pretty fortunate in my area, as the water system for our village is also a special "district" and has a fantastic water system, and our sewer treatment is handled by a very large district that handles all the waste water from many cities and villages, but does so efficiently and is highly rated by the EPA. I personally believe this is because Peter isn't robbing Paul to fund this or that. Each district knows their revenue, works within those limits, and does a pretty good job.



Now all we need to do is get a referendum passed for an ambulance district, and we'll be set...



EDIT: There's also a recent push to start the idea of consolidation of services, and I think we'll end up being part of a combined district at some point, but our taxes are all too "different" to go that route at this point. I'd be surprised in the next ten to twenty years if we aren't combined with another district.

[Dickey]

[quote name='Toneslider12' timestamp='1341650385' post='491430']

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.rockymoun...e.org/index.htm[/url]

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VERY COOL!



Thank you for explaining that. A buddy of mine works in the dispatch center for Denver...I beleive Denver PD. He tried to explain it too and I was lost. This helps me to understand it better. Departments in WI are doing the same thing but calling them incorporations or districts here. Same thing but different!

[countryboy88]

It has most likely already been asked or explained but what is a HAMER rig?

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[quote name='countryboy88' timestamp='1341785716' post='491581']

It has most likely already been asked or explained but what is a HAMER rig?

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HAzardous Materials Emergency Response. Was a widely used designator within the Denver Metro area for a while, most have gone to the NIMS compliant designator in te past few years though.

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South Metro Rescue Co. 34

   

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South Metro Rescue & Collapse Trailer 41

   

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South Metro Engine 42

   

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South Metro Tender 46

Former Parker Fire District Tender 72, new poly tank added by the shops.

   

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Elizabeth Brush 271

2011 Dodge Ram 4x4 with in house body fabrication

   

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Elizabeth Engine 271

2011 International 4x4x / Rosenbauer 1000 gallon CAFS engine

   

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Elizabeth Engine 273, a twin to E271 above

   

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I can never get enough of these big boys... Rattlesnake Engine 251

   

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Franktown Engine 184

   

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Franktown Medic 184

This was a 1994 McCoy Miller box refurbished and placed on a 2008 GMC

   

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Franktown Tender 181