WESTMINSTER, Colo. — Last week, Denver7 | Your Voice headed to the northwest suburb of Westminster to listen to the concerns and priorities of that community. While there, reporter Jaclyn Allen uncovered a major concern from residents and asked a Westminster leader about possible solutions.
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Parker Brown, who lives in the Westcliff neighborhood, became worried about the city's limited fire stations after somebody setting off fireworks started a small fire in grasses in the neighborhood on July 4. He reached out to Denver7 afterward.
"It's a small fire, but imagine a larger one," he said, pointing to the brush fire near his neighbor's home.
He said the fire service in his neighborhood falls into a coverage gap, resulting in responses times that are longer than the industry standard.
"A fire station over here would have helped tremendously," Brown said.
Westminster's growth has led to certain neighborhoods falling into recognized fire coverage gaps.
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"Even if you're not in one of those service gap areas, it's putting you at risk as well, because when one of the stations gets called out to a call, one of these other stations has to go and cover that area," Brown explained. "So, when we have a gap in service, it's not just affecting one. It's affecting the whole community."
Denver7 listened to his worries and brought them to Westminster Mayor Nancy McNally, who acknowledged that the city shares the same concern.
McNally said that although voters rejected a sales tax measure last year — Ballot Measure 3C, which proposed a sales and use tax increase of 0.5% — the city management has found temporary funds for a training facility and a northern fire station.
Denver7 spoke with the Westminster Fire Department about 3C in October 2024. Firefighter August Rasche, a local firefighter's union board member, told us firefighters operate under a four-minute response time standard operating procedure, and it's difficult for Westminster firefighters to meet that response time due to increased call volume and coverage gaps.
“We started out at about 7,000 calls for service when I first started here, and now we're at over 17,000 calls,” Westminster Fire Chief Erik Birk told Denver7 in October.
Westminster Mayor McNally said while voters rejected that measure, the temporary funds for a training facility and a northern fire station are not sufficient. The city is considering alternatives, including proposing another sales tax increase to voters on the November ballot. The aim is to hire more firefighters and EMTs, build a central fire station, and repair neighborhood streets.
"We have been educating the public to help them understand," said McNally, who noted a recent survey confirmed that the public wants improved streets and fire protection and indicated support for a measure to increase sales tax.
Brown told us that sales taxes are a tough sell to many, but he also understands the urgency of emergency response.
"If I've had a stroke or I've had a heart attack, I don't have those seven, eight, nine minutes to waste," he said.
The next step involves a town hall meeting on July 24 at West View Recreation Center, which will provide an opportunity for residents to voice their opinions on the proposed tax increase.
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