COMMERCE CITY —The fire department that serves Commerce City, Henderson and parts of unincorporated Adams County is in the midst of an expansion that will include two new engines, a new, centralized headquarters and remodeling of many of its outdated fire stations.
In June, the South Adams County Fire Protection District will unveil the first of these improvements: a fully rebuilt Station 4 in Commerce City. That same month, the department is slated to break ground on a new headquarters next to the Commerce City Municipal Center off 72nd Avenue and Quebec Street.
Fire Chief Kevin Vincel, who took office in August, calls the projects a much-needed expansion. The department serves almost 80 square miles of Adams County and Denver, from the southern edge of Brighton to Denver International Airport.
He said the new headquarters “will change the dynamic of the district by providing a building that both provides a better working space for our growing district and offers a professional service to the public. We are building this headquarters building with a concept of a 50-year-plus building.”
Commerce City spokeswoman Julia Emko said the location of the headquarters will help further embed the fire district in the city and highlight its presence to residents.
“The addition of the fire building contributes to that bigger sense of what it means to be a civic center,” she said.
The current fire headquarters is in the upper level of Station 3, near 72nd Avenue and Monaco Street. The 1978 building houses all the department’s administrative staff, as well as an ambulance crew and a full-time fire crew of four.
“As our district continues to grow, so does the need for more administrative and bureau staff,” said department spokesperson Michael Gawel. “The goal is to move all divisions of the fire district board, administration (including operations), the fire bureau and training to the new facility.”
The $5.8 million headquarters project also will include a community room available to the public, though its primary function will be for the district board room. Vincel said the department and its governing board have been planning this tiered expansion for years.
“We have a very experienced group of people that have extensive background in making plans and financial moves that fit within our budget and future budget,” Vincel said. “We have conducted a complete analysis and strategy on how we fund and operate presently and for the future.”
The South Adams County Fire District budget relies on mill levies from the assessed property value of district taxpayers. In 2014, the rate went from 4.3 to 9.9 — still among the lowest within the metro area. By comparison, 2016 mill levies used for the North Metro Fire Rescue District total about 13.2, and the West Metro Fire Protection District uses about 12.3.
Station 4 at 8600 Rosemary St., near the Mile High Flea Market in Commerce City, is in the final stages of a complete rebuild, including a demolition of the old building. That approximately $4 million project was the result of a study that zeroed in on the district’s calls for service.
“With that information, the goal will be to have crews located in those heavy call-volume locations to improve call-to-scene times, ultimately providing a better service to the public,” Gawel said.
As these projects are finished, the district board will address the remodeling needs of other fire stations. Station 2 at 5650 Holly St. is projected to be next.
The department is also adding two new fire engines in early 2017 and has begun the process of implementing Opticom signals at major intersections throughout Commerce City with partial financial support from Commerce City and the Colorado Department of Transportation. The signals allow firefighters to change the traffic lights so that they can cross without charging into moving traffic.
“One of the top reasons fire apparatus are involved in accidents is due to traffic accidents in intersections” that don’t have these devices, Vincel said. “We wanted to take every precaution we can to help lower that statistic.”
The expansion and upgraded presence of South Adams coincides with unprecedented population growth in its service areas.
“As the city continues to grow, it’s important services do, too,” Emko said. “We’ve been working closely with the fire district on this project and are excited it’s moving forward.”
Megan Mitchell: 303-954-2650, mmitchell@denverpost.com or @Mmitchelldp
