West Metro has completed a proposed budget for 2023. The budget will be considered for approval by the Board of Directors during the board's December 6th meeting. The public will be able to comment on the budget at the board's November 15th meeting. All board meetings begin at 6:30 pm at the fire district's administrative offices- 433 South Allison Parkway.
On Tuesday, October 4, West Metro crews assisted Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers with relocating a bear. The bear had been hanging out in a Littleton neighborhood, near the intersection of West Elmhurst Place and West Friend Place. He was spotted on Monday night and it was hoped that he would move on by morning. But come daylight, he was still in the area. Crews with Truck 14 and Tower 2 responded to the scene. Firefighters first attempted to move into place to try and get a harness around the bear so they could lower him to the ground after he was tranquilized.
An RV crashes into a donut shop, a floor collapses during a structure fire, and a warning about ebikes. It's all covered in this edition of the West Metro Update.
West Metro has put a new ambulance on-line- Medic 17, which will run out of Station 17 on West 38th Avenue. This is the district's 13th medic and the crew will be providing service to the busy north side of West Metro, enhancing response for medical and fire calls. Medic 17 will also provide some relief for our busier medics.
Like many fire agencies, medical calls make up the majority of our incidents each year. West Metro's Board of Directors approved the staffing and operational change in August.
West Metro Fire Rescue has received Accredited Agency Status with the C
On July 19, 2022 at approximately 3:00 am, a fire was reported at the Blue Sky Motel, in the 6200 block of West Colfax Avenue. The motel had been closed for several months and some of the units were boarded up. Our investigators have determined that the fire was intentionally set. West Metro is looking for information that could assist investigators in locating a person of interest in this incident.
If you have information, call: (303) 539 - 9531 or email: beberle@westmetrofire.org.
More than 500,000 pets across the country are affected by structure fires every year. And about 1,000 fires are actually started by the pets themselves. Prevention is the most important part of fire safety and you must be prepared to keep your home and your pet safe in an emergency.
Take a look around the house and ensure there are no areas where pets can start fires accidentally. Pets are often curious and can get into trouble if left alone around burning candles, cooking appliances or even a fire in your fireplace.
To keep your pet from starting a fire:
The cause of the Snow Creek Fire, near Highway 285 and Highway 8, is officially "undetermined." But, West Metro investigators say the cause was most likely lightning, as several witnesses reported lightning in the area about two hours before the fire started on the afternoon of July 12. The fire burned about an acre, situated on a steep, rocky incline. One home on the ridge above the fire was evacuated and about 60 homes in the Willow Creek neighborhood were on pre-evacuation as a precaution.
West Metro firefighters responded to a structure fire at 16th Avenue and Routt Street around 2 am on Tuesday, July 12. When crews arrived, three townhomes on the construction site were fully involved. Lakewood Police evacuated neighbors from surrounding homes- there were no injuries.
The fire was so hot- radiant heat ignited a home to the south of the scene, melted siding on another home, damaged some vehicles across the street and melted blinds inside an apartment. The two people who live in the home were displaced. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
West Metro firefighters respond to nearly 40,000 calls each year- that's an average of one call every 13 minutes. Some of those calls are difficult, even for experienced crews. It could be that the patient is the same age as a son or daughter, or the incident ends with a fatality.
First responders see and experience hundreds of traumatic situations during a career which can leave a lasting impact. To help crews with processing some of those tough calls, West Metro has launched a certified therapy dog program.