Arvada Fire Protection District

Arvada Fire Protection District (AFPD), founded in 1911 covering 43 square miles in Jefferson & Adams Counties (Colorado) including the areas of Allendale, Alta Vista, Anderson Park, Apex, Appleridge Estates, Arbor Green, Arbor Point, Arvada Plaza, Arvada Square, Barbara Gulch, Bates Lake, Big Dry Greek, Blue Mountain, Blunn Reservoir, Brayfield Open Space, Bridgeside Park, Calkins Lake, Candelas, Candlelight, Church’s Crossing Park, Cimarron Park, Clear Creek, Club Crest, Coal Creek Canyon-East, Columbine Park, Echters, Fairmount-South, Fair Horizons Park, Fairplanes, Faversham Park, Five Parks, Forest Springs, Fruitdale, Garrison Lakes, Gibbs West Community Park, Gold Strike Park, Grace Place, Hackberry Hill, Harvest Lane, Heyden Gulch, Hidden Lake-Southwest, Highlands, Hyatt Lake, Indian Tree, Kipling Heights, Lake Arbor, Lakecrest, Lamplighter, Leyden, Leyden Lake, Leyden Rock, Leyden Rock Open Space, Lilac Estates, Long Lake, Lutz Sports Complex, Mansfield, Majestic View Nature Center, Maverick Mesa, Meadowbrook Village, Meadowglen, Meadowlake, Mountain Vista Village, Northwood Acres, Nottingham Park, Oak Park, Oberon, Olde Town Arvada, Pattridge Open Space, Pearce Park, Pomona, Pomona Lake, Prospect Park, Ptarmigan, Quail Cove, Quaker Acres, Rainbow Ridge, Ralston Cove Park, Ralston Valley, Ridge Road, Rocky Flats Lake, Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge-South, Secrest Park, Scenic Heights, Skyline Park, Spring Mesa Park, Standley Lake-South, Stenger, Stoney Creek, Tabor Lake, Tennyson Knolls, Tepper Reservoir, Three Creeks, Tucker Lake, Twin Creek, Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge, Van Bibber Open Space, Vanderhoof, Village of Five Parks, Welton Reservoir, Westminster, West Ridge Park, West Woods, Wheat Ridge-North(of Clear Creek), Whisper Creek, Woodrun & Wyndhams. (FDID #05903)

Arvada Fire Protection District history goes back to 1907 when the Arvada Town Board approved the purchase of Arvada’s first fire engine. The hand-drawn chemical fire engine arrived by rail from New York City four months later, and efforts to organize a volunteer fire company came shortly there after. Arvada’s first “fire engine house” was located on property leased from the C&S Railroad, not far from the water tower in Olde Town. A group of volunteers known as the Arvada Fire Company was established early in 1908. By the fall of 1909, these volunteers were equipped with a ladder, 100 feet of fire hose, two hand axes and six lanterns, in addition to 14 portable fire extinguishers and the Rex chemical engine purchased in 1907.

In 1910 Arvada Hose Company # 1 was created and followed by the Arvada Hose Company # 2 in June of 1911. Both hose companies consolidated on December 11th, 1911 and became the Arvada Volunteer Fire Department. The first meetings of the department were held in local business establishments or the homes of the members. On March 1st, 1915, the Town Board granted the department the use of a meeting room in the Town Hall, and a room to store the fire department’s equipment. A fire whistle was used to summon volunteers at the time of a fire. The old whistle was taken down in October of 1915, and replaced by a siren. In March of 1917 a friction between the department and the Town Board began to develop that continued into August 29th, 1917, when the firemen called a special meeting of the department, divided up the cash on hand and disbanded. The department was reorganized on October 29th, 1917.

In August of 1924 a friction again between the department and the Town Board with a lack of cooperation. The volunteer department was formed in August 12th, 1924 with 25 members and only piece of equipment, which was a hand-drawn hose cart with some old and badly worn fire hose. The department after the organization, the first action was to request a motorized fire truck and a siren to summon the firemen. Town Board members were not duly impressed with the request, but after the volunteers threatened to resign the town voted to purchase the fire truck and siren. The fire fire truck was purchased, which was Arvada’s first motorized fire engine, a 1923 Graham Brothers chemical engine that was purchased in Denver from the Julius Pearce Fire Supply Company. The 1923 engine was equipped with chemical tanks, and a supply of two and one-half inch hose. The engine was located in a garage on the west side of  the Town Hall. The new siren was mounted on a wooden tower at the rear of the Town Hall, which was located at 7622 Grandview Ave, which it remained in service until the police department moved in their new building in 1972.

In 1932 the residents of the rural district surrounding Arvada, voted to purchase a pumper to better serve the area that water was available only in irrigation ditches, canals, lakes and wells.  Arvada’s first ambulance began operating in 1939 under the jurisdiction of the Wilmore-Richter American Legion Post No. 161. The fire department acquired an ambulance (fire-rescue unit) in 1947 and began providing first-aid and rescue services to the Arvada community. In 1949 local citizens went to the polls and approved the formation of the Arvada Fire Protection District, which at that time covered 29 square miles. In 1953 the fire district built a garage at W. 57th Ave. & Zephyr St. (present Station 1) to house the fire department equipment and became the headquarters at the time.

On December of 1953, the district entered into it’s first employment contract with Elizabeth Schmitt, for $150 per month, her duties were to receive emergency calls at her residence, 5701 Zephyr St. She would ring the fire siren and give notice to the firemen of the place and location of the emergency. Members received this notification of fire via a special telephone hookup in 1954. In 1957 each fireman was issued a police band radio and dispatching was done by the Arvada Police Department. The fire department and police department decide to assume it’s own dispatching duties, and in August of 1977 full time dispatchers were hired. The communications center was moved from the police department to Station 6, which was the district’s Headquarters.     

Arvada Fire Protection has an Auto-Aid (Automatic-Aid) agreement with Adams County Fire Rescue (2016), Fairmount Fire Protection District (2019), West Metro Fire Rescue (2019) and the North Area Automatic Aid Agreement in 2019. Mutual-aid with Coal Creek Canyon Fire Protection District, Golden Gate Fire Protection District, Mountain View Fire Rescue, North Metro Fire Rescue DistrictPleasant View Fire Department & Westminster Fire Department.

Arvada Fire Protection District is part of the North Area Technical Rescue Team.

Fairmount Fire Protection District ballot questions on November 5th, 2024 passed to merge with the Arvada Fire Protection District, which will take place January of 2025. 

Arvada Fire Protection District (50) is dispatched by Jeffcom 911.

Station 1 – Olde Town
Station 2 – Arvada / Wheat Ridge
Station 3 – Kipling Heights
Station 4 – Lamar Heights
Station 5 – Lake Arbor
Station 6 – Allendale
Station 7 – Ralston Valley
Station 8 – West Woods
Station 9 – Candelas
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