Longmont - Roger Rademacher is greeted nearly every day by new homes, more people and greater expectations for fire protection in ever-expanding southwest Weld County.
It takes time for even the most dedicated and scrappy fire crew to traverse two counties and five high-volume highways.
"People already say, 'What took you so long to get here?"' said Rademacher, an acting battalion chief with the Mountain View Fire Protection District.
Such is the burden for the mostly volunteer fire crew that is responsible for a 184-square-mile area - much of it in one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. It also covers part of Boulder County.
Since 1993, population within the district has swelled from 25,000 to nearly 50,000, while emergency calls have risen from 1,417 to 2,517.
Another 200,000 people are expected over the next 20 years, creating new demands, and costs for emergency services.
"It's going to get worse," Rademacher said.
A haystack fire in Weld County recently exposed the district's vulnerability. It burned for hours as the call went out to the fire crew made up of 60 volunteers and 42 paid firefighters.
The district couldn't afford to send all the professional firefighters for fear that another major blaze could break out elsewhere, said district spokeswoman Donna Mullison.
"If something big happens here, we could be in big trouble," she said.
Mountain View will ask voters on May 2 for a $1.4 million tax increase and a bond issue to bolster the district's professional ranks and build more stations. The tax increase will allow the district to add 18 professional firefighters.
But some residents question whether the area has outgrown its resources. Chris Robillard and a group called the Fire Watch Committee say the district is wasteful and unwilling to embrace volunteer support, the backbone of local fire service.
"It seems like they have developed the mentality of other neighboring fire districts to go professional all the way," said Robillard. "It's all about keeping up with the Joneses."
But keeping the district's seven stations adequately staffed is a huge problem since many volunteers have jobs during the day that take them away from the communities they protect, Rademacher said. "Now, many (employers) ... need people to work more and they are not as willing to let people help with emergencies."
Rapid urbanization is usually behind most fire departments turning to paid firefighters, said Dave Finger, director of government relations for the National Volunteer Fire Council.
The number of volunteer firefighters has declined 10 percent in the United States since 1983, Finger said.
"You have a workforce moving into areas that don't really have a connection to community, so it's tougher to get (volunteers)," he said.
Robillard, however, contends the district has plenty of people it can draw on to make a volunteer force viable, but administrators prefer paid firefighters.
"The way to control people is through a paid staff," he said.
If the tax hike is approved, the district will hire someone to retain and increase the number of volunteers, said Deputy Fire Chief Steven Pischke.
"We know how important our volunteers are," Pischke said, "and in no way do we want to get rid of them."
Staff writer Monte Whaley can be reached at 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com.
It takes time for even the most dedicated and scrappy fire crew to traverse two counties and five high-volume highways.
"People already say, 'What took you so long to get here?"' said Rademacher, an acting battalion chief with the Mountain View Fire Protection District.
Such is the burden for the mostly volunteer fire crew that is responsible for a 184-square-mile area - much of it in one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. It also covers part of Boulder County.
Since 1993, population within the district has swelled from 25,000 to nearly 50,000, while emergency calls have risen from 1,417 to 2,517.
Another 200,000 people are expected over the next 20 years, creating new demands, and costs for emergency services.
"It's going to get worse," Rademacher said.
A haystack fire in Weld County recently exposed the district's vulnerability. It burned for hours as the call went out to the fire crew made up of 60 volunteers and 42 paid firefighters.
The district couldn't afford to send all the professional firefighters for fear that another major blaze could break out elsewhere, said district spokeswoman Donna Mullison.
"If something big happens here, we could be in big trouble," she said.
Mountain View will ask voters on May 2 for a $1.4 million tax increase and a bond issue to bolster the district's professional ranks and build more stations. The tax increase will allow the district to add 18 professional firefighters.
But some residents question whether the area has outgrown its resources. Chris Robillard and a group called the Fire Watch Committee say the district is wasteful and unwilling to embrace volunteer support, the backbone of local fire service.
"It seems like they have developed the mentality of other neighboring fire districts to go professional all the way," said Robillard. "It's all about keeping up with the Joneses."
But keeping the district's seven stations adequately staffed is a huge problem since many volunteers have jobs during the day that take them away from the communities they protect, Rademacher said. "Now, many (employers) ... need people to work more and they are not as willing to let people help with emergencies."
Rapid urbanization is usually behind most fire departments turning to paid firefighters, said Dave Finger, director of government relations for the National Volunteer Fire Council.
The number of volunteer firefighters has declined 10 percent in the United States since 1983, Finger said.
"You have a workforce moving into areas that don't really have a connection to community, so it's tougher to get (volunteers)," he said.
Robillard, however, contends the district has plenty of people it can draw on to make a volunteer force viable, but administrators prefer paid firefighters.
"The way to control people is through a paid staff," he said.
If the tax hike is approved, the district will hire someone to retain and increase the number of volunteers, said Deputy Fire Chief Steven Pischke.
"We know how important our volunteers are," Pischke said, "and in no way do we want to get rid of them."
Staff writer Monte Whaley can be reached at 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com.
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