South Metro Fire Rescue

South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR) is a fire protection district which provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the municipalities of Bow Mar, Castle Pines, Centennial, Cherry Hills Village, Columbine Valley, Foxfield, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree, Parker, portions of Aurora and Lakewood, and unincorporated portions of Arapahoe, Douglas and Jefferson counties in Colorado. The area South Metro serves is 287 square miles (740 square kilometers) in size with a population of more than 540,000.[1][4][5]

South Metro Fire Rescue
Operational area
Country United States
State Colorado
CountiesArapahoe, Douglas and Jefferson counties
Agency overview[1]
Annual calls43,026 (2019)[2]
Employees725 (2020)[3]
Annual budget$148,820,106 (2020)[3]
StaffingCareer
Fire chiefBob Baker
EMS levelALS
IAFF2086
Facilities and equipment[1]
Battalions5
Stations29
Engines22
Quints5 - Towers
1 - Ladder
Rescues1
Ambulances19
Tenders6
HAZMAT2
Airport crash3
Wildland3 - Type 3
11 - Type 6
Rescue boats2
Website
Official website
IAFF website

South Metro Fire Rescue is an internationally accredited agency with the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) and holds an Insurance Services Office (ISO) Public Protection Classification Class 1 rating.[6] The district operates teams specializing in aircraft rescue and firefighting, bike medics, dive rescue, hazardous materials, incident management team, SWAT medic, technical rescue, urban search and rescue, and wildland firefighting.[1]

The district is a product of decades of consolidation between area fire departments since the 1980s including Castle Pines Fire Department, Castlewood Fire Protection District, Cherry Hills Fire Protection District, Cunningham Fire Protection District, Littleton Fire Rescue, Louviers Fire Protection District, North Douglas County Fire Protection District, and Parker Fire Protection District.[7][8]

History

The origins of the South Metro Fire Rescue name comes from Castlewood Fire Protection District which had petitioned to change its name to South Metro Fire Rescue on December 31, 1998. Prior to South Metro Fire Rescue, Castlewood Fire Protection District began the trend of consolidating with neighboring departments with Castle Pines Fire Department and North Douglas County Fire Protection District in 1986, and Cherry Hills Fire Protection District in 1989.[7]

In 1999, Robert Rinne assumed the fire chief position,[9] and Louviers Fire Protection District agreed to merge with South Metro Fire Rescue effective January 1, 2000.[4]

On January 19, 2006, South Metro Fire Rescue established the Metropolitan Area Communications Center (MetCom) to provide dispatching service for the district.[4] In March 2006, the district achieved international accreditation from the CFAI, a distinction held by only three other agencies in the state at the time.[10]

In April 2007, a report was provided to the district by Emergency Services Consulting Inc. noting a consistent lack of trust between personnel and the fire chief's office and suggested a change in leadership. An example cited by the report included questioning financial decisions made in purchasing four firetrucks whereas the apparatus committee suggested only purchasing one. By June, four members of South Metro Fire Rescue's leadership, including Chief Robert Rinne, had stepped down and Fire Marshall Mike Dell'Orfano assumed the position of acting chief.[9][11] In October 2007, Parker Fire Protection District Chief Dan Qualman assumed the role of interim chief of South Metro Fire Rescue as a study began on consolidating operations with Parker Fire Protection District.[12] The study was completed in March 2008 and found that a consolidation of departments would result in tax savings and better services.[13][14] The two districts voted to consolidate on April 24, 2008 and began working together on May 1, 2008 as a single authority governed by the two boards of directors, the largest merger between two entities in Colorado at the time.[13][15] On January 5, 2016, Parker Fire Protection District and South Metro Fire Rescue merged into a single district.[16]

In January 2015, Chief Dan Qualman retired and Bob Baker assumed the position of fire chief for the district.[17]

In November 2017, South Metro Fire Rescue and Cunningham Fire Protection District agreed to form a new joint fire authority to join the two districts together effective January 1, 2018.[4][18] On January 1, 2019, South Metro's authority was expanded to include areas of the Highlands Ranch Metropolitan District, Littleton Fire Protection District, and City of Littleton that were previously covered by Littleton Fire Rescue, a department with history that dates back to 1890. As a result of the expansion, South Metro became the second largest fire district in Colorado.[4][8][19] The authority was dissolved in May 2020 after redistricting of the board of directors and subsequent election allowed for voter representation from the newly added areas.[20]

On January 1, 2018, South Metro received an ISO Class 1 rating after previously holding a Class 3 rating, and is notable for being the first agency in the United States to achieve a Class 1 rating in areas without a fire hydrant that would require water tenders to respond.[6][21]

Stations and apparatus
Station # [22] Location [22] Engine Company Ladder/Tower Company Medic Unit Command Unit Tender Unit Brush Unit Special Unit Battalion Notes
11 2255 W Berry Ave, Littleton Engine 11 Medic 11 2
12 6529 S Broadway, Littleton Ladder 12 Medic 12 Battalion Chief 2 Rehab 12 2
13 6290 W Coal Mine Ave, Columbine Engine 13 Medic 13 2
14 6600 S Colorado Blvd, Centennial Engine 14 3
15 2702 E Dry Creek Rd, Centennial Engine 15 Medic 15 2
16 8119 Blakeland Dr, Douglas County Engine 16 Medic 16 Battalion Chief 1 Dive 16 1
17 9554 S University Blvd, Highlands Ranch Engine 17 Medic 17 Brush 17 Decon 17 2
18 401 Timbervale Trail, Highlands Ranch Tower 18 Medic 18 Safety 18 Brush 18 Wildland Utility 18 1
19 8490 Trailmark Pkwy, Littleton Engine 19 Brush 19 1
20 1801 E Wildcat Reserve Pkwy, Highlands Ranch Engine 20 Brush Engine 20 2 *Under construction, Spring 2021
21 2250 S Emporia St, Arapahoe County Engine 21 Medic 21
Medic 211		 Brush 21 5
22 16758 E Smoky Hill Rd, Centennial Engine 22 Battalion Chief 5 Brush 22 Fan 3 5
23 5405 S Riviera Way, Centennial Engine 23 Medic 23 5
31 5901 S Havana St, Greenwood Village Engine 31 Medic 31 Dive 31
Rescue Boat 31		 5
32 5945 S Quebec St, Centennial Tower 32 Medic 32 Battalion Chief 3 3
33 7281 E Dry Creek Rd, Centennial Engine 33 Brush 33 3
34 8871 Maximus Dr, Lone Tree Tower 34 Medic 34 District Chief 1
Med 1		 Tender 34 Rescue 34 3
35 12080 E Briarwood Ave, Dove Valley Tower 35 Safety 35 Red 1
Red 2		 5
36 421 E Castle Pines Pkwy, Castle Pines Engine 36 Medic 36 Brush 36 1
37 5701 S University Blvd, Greenwood Village Medic 37
ARM 37		 3
38 2460 E Quincy Ave, Cherry Hills Village Engine 38 Hazmat 38 3
39 475 W Happy Canyon Rd, Castle Pines Village Engine 39 Tender 39 Brush Engine 39 Wildland Utility 39 1
40 10297 N Chatfield Dr, Douglas County Engine 40 Tender 40 Brush Engine 40 1
41 10795 S Pine Dr, Parker Engine 41 Medic 41 Battalion Chief 4 Tender 41 Brush Engine 41 Wildland Utility 41 4
42 7320 S Parker Rd, Foxfield Engine 42 Medic 42 Brush 42 5
43 8165 N Pinery Pkwy, The Pinery Engine 43 Brush 43 4
44 12625 E Lincoln Ave, Meridian Engine 44 Medic 44 Red 3 4
45 16801 Northgate Dr, Stonegate Tower 45 Special Operations Chief 10 Tender 45 Collapse 45 4
46 19310 Stroh Rd, Parker Engine 46 Medic 46 Tender 46 Brush 46 Tracked Vehicle 46 4
47 11685 Tomahawk Rd, Douglas County Engine 47 Brush 47 4
HQ 9195 E Mineral Ave, Centennial IDT 2

Notable incidents

References
  1. "2019 South Metro Fact Sheet" (PDF). South Metro Fire Rescue. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  2. "2019 Annual Response Report" (PDF). South Metro Fire Rescue. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  3. "2020 Budget" (PDF). South Metro Fire Rescue. 2020-01-31. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  4. "Who We Are" (PDF). South Metro Fire Rescue. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  5. "District Facts, Information, & Plans". South Metro Fire Rescue. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  6. "Accreditation and ISO Rating". South Metro Fire Rescue. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  7. "South Metro Fire Rescue Authority Standards of Cover" (PDF). South Metro Fire Rescue. 2015-06-22. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  8. Costello, Tom; Hurst, Eric (2018-12-31). Littleton Firefighting - A New Era (Videotape). YouTube. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  9. Thompson, Stephanie (2007-05-03). "Fire chief retires after two decades of service". Colorado Community Media. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  10. Jones, Peter (2006-03-23). "South Metro Fire receives international accreditation". Colorado Community Media. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  11. Nicholson, Kieran (2007-06-09). "Exodus at South Metro Fire Rescue". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  12. Wiebold, Terri (2007-11-01). "Changes at South Metro Fire Rescue". The Connection. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  13. Nicholson, Kieran (2008-04-24). "Southern fire districts join forces". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  14. Wiebold, Terri (2008-04-01). "Consolidation Study Complete South Metro Fire Rescue and Parker Fire Look to Merge". The Connection. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  15. Michlewicz, Chris (2008-05-01). "Parker fire, South Metro finalize plan to merge". Colorado Community Media. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  16. "Amended 2016 Budget" (PDF). South Metro Fire Rescue. 2016-01-25. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  17. Woullard, Clayton (2014-08-05). "South Metro Fire Rescue Authority chief steps down after 28 years". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  18. Eckmann, Kristin (2017-11-17). "South Metro Fire Rescue and Cunningham Fire Protection District Merge" (Press release). Centennial, Colorado: South Metro Fire Rescue. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  19. Morfitt, Karen (2019-01-01). "Littleton Fire Department Joins Forces With South Metro Fire Rescue". CBS Denver. Littleton, Colorado. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
  20. Gilbert, David (2020-05-10). "South Metro Fire now overseen by elected board". Colorado Community Media. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  21. "Fireline Special Edition 2018". Fireline. Vol. 18. Centennial, Colorado: South Metro Fire Rescue. 2018. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  22. "Fire Stations". South Metro Fire Rescue. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  23. Hurst, Eric; Wist, Connor (2019-05-08). STEM School Shooting - Vlog 15 (Videotape). YouTube. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
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