West metro Fire (CO) announces personnel cuts

Status
Not open for further replies.

lazierfan

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Oct 2, 2008
Messages
381
Location
Map Page AA-18
I am surprised regarding the mil levy rejection. But the method of layoffs was seen in the cards for years, the two less-busy stations, 14 and 15, had been training and trading shifts and equipment since 2008 or so, 15 had been going on calls as far north as Bowles.
 

renilyn

Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2013
Messages
5
Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Well, I'm not familiar with how it works up there... But after seeing something very similar happen here (COS) a few years back-the public freaked out. Then two years ago we had a very minimal tax pass for EPCO and it did wonders for the cause. Now people here see its not going to break the bank to help our FD, SO and PD... So hopefully we can get some more support!!!!!!!!!!
 

jimmnn

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
14,370
Location
Colorado
LAKEWOOD, Colo. - Budget issues at West Metro Fire Rescue could mean there will be fewer firefighters to handle emergencies in Lakewood.

Agency officials said this means "there will be seven fewer firefighters on the streets every day."

The agency blames budgetary constraints, a failed mil-levy election, and lagging tax revenues.

"After already saving millions in administrative cost reductions and firefighter pay cuts, West Metro Fire’s service levels will now be affected," the agency warned.

The cuts include:

The District will be permanently closing Engine Company 14, with three firefighters, which responded from Station 14 in Ken Caryl.
The District will also no longer fully staff its Heavy Rescue unit which responded to all structure fires and technical rescue calls throughout the District with four firefighters from Station 4 in Green Mountain.
West Metro will be down-staffing Station 15 in Roxborough from five firefighters to four. This move will affect EMS delivery and ambulance availability.
West Metro has also decided to eliminate one of its front-line District Chief positions.

"These changes are relayed with a very heavy heart from the Firefighters of West Metro but they pledge to serve the citizens of this District to the absolute best of their abilities, as they do every day," officials said.

The cutbacks are part of a proposal that still has to be approved by the publicly-elected Board of Directors.

West Metro Fire Rescue provides services to more than a quarter million people in the following areas: City of Lakewood, Town of Morrison, parts of the cities of Golden and Wheat Ridge, parts of unincorporated Littleton and Jefferson County, Roxborough communities and Waterton Canyon (Douglas County).

West Metro Fire Rescue has 320 full-time firefighters who staff 15 stations and 50 civilian staff members, according to officials. The Fire District covers more than 110 square miles.
 

lazierfan

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Oct 2, 2008
Messages
381
Location
Map Page AA-18
C-470 from Quincy to Chatfield is going to be a no-man's land this winter with Station 9 and Station 15 taking up the slack that 14's used to respond on.
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
But we have money for multi million dollar systems! Over logical replacements that will get it done the same.
 

MikeyB

Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2004
Messages
688
Location
Centennial, Colorado
C-470 from Quincy to Chatfield is going to be a no-man's land this winter with Station 9 and Station 15 taking up the slack that 14's used to respond on.

14's will still run with Tower 14 running all medical calls/accidents in the first due. It was just a double house with Engine 14 and Tower 14. Response times for medicals only go up if Tower 14 is out of service on another call, training, etc.
 

towersites

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 16, 2009
Messages
88
Location
Denver, CO
They did not advertise what they wanted very well this time around. I live in there fire district.
Some resident's say it was a lack of good communications.
 

Moosemedic

Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2003
Messages
216
Location
Denver
Laid off from West Metro? Try Fast Food

Well, I wonder how those career Firefighters facing a demotion or lay-off from West Metro Fire Rescue feel about high school drop-outs protesting for $15 and hour?

Fast Food Workers Strike, Several Are Arrested « CBS Denver

There's something seriously wrong when the 17 year old kid on the other side of the drive through window makes more than the Paramedic (not to mention private service EMT's) grabbing a bite between calls.
 

greenthumb

Colorado DB Administrator
Database Admin
Joined
Feb 29, 2004
Messages
1,942
West Metro made their tax increase sound like it was to fund additional paramedics and expand operations, not to maintain them. I'm sure some of this is a political move to put it into the news and "get back" at the taxpayers that defeated the measure. Personally, I think they should have stopped building "Bellagio-like" fire stations all over town and halted new apparatus purchases to cut costs before all of this.

Regardless, the south end has fewer calls and heavy rescue callouts where they're actually needed are few and far between and can be handled just fine from station 10. District Chief 3 was added as a luxury a few years ago, so that can go away too. Meh...sounds like a needed correction to me.
 
Last edited:

wtnfs

Member
Joined
May 28, 2011
Messages
34
There are no firefighter layoff's, just civilian layoff's. They will be above the minimum staffing (as of Jan 1, 2015) for a year or so until retiree's leave and get them to the minimum staffing levels. All those demoted will be the first to be promoted again so most of those are temporary.

The amount of money they were asking for was BS. They had a 1.whatever million shortfall and were asking for essentially $7 million or something like that. If they had asked for $2-$3 million they probably would have received it. Now I am no expert but if they asked for $7 million I could argue they didn't think the tax base was coming back and needed more money for several years of operating in a deficit.

When B. Brown was the Chief he did some good things, he was a great Chief. McBee came in and pretty much made some really bad decisions that left Lombardi holding the check (not just the money check, but dealing with many iffy decisions by McBee).

The decisions released yesterday are pretty good at striking a balance of cost savings and maintaining safety. The one thing they should have done is move the Rescue back to 10's for cross staffing rather than keep it at 4's.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top