Arvada Fire

🌧 Rain or shine, our firefighters are always ready to train, improve, and build the skills needed to save lives!

Arvada Fire is carrying out quarterly multi-company drills (MCDs) this week at the Training Center. This live fire training involves two scenarios at mid-rise residences with multiple companies and our partners at West Metro Fire Rescue training with us for many of the sessions.

This important training prepares our firefighters for the unique challenges posed by fires in multi-story buildings, such as apartment complexes or assisted living facilities that are common through our district. As with any MCD, communications and coordination of tactics are paramount.

Crews also work on procedures associated with mid-rise structures, including fire attack utilizing a standpipe system, long and complex hose stretches, door control and ventilation, and positioning apparatus and ladders for quick balcony rescues.

The County has mailed its 2026 General Election TABOR Booklet. Several jurisdictions, such as Arvada Fire and Issue 6C, are asking tax/debt questions of voters. Each household will receive a TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights) booklet in the mail, which contains the explanations of each of these measures and comments for and against, as filed by the jurisdiction. A link to the document can be found at:

https://www.jeffco.us/DocumentCenter/View/59081/2026-General-TABOR-Booklet-PDF

Arvada Fire launched its pre-hospital whole blood program with one mission: save lives. One year later, we’re proud to say that mission is becoming a reality. Since this program launched on Oct. 13, 2025:

• 28 patients received transfusions in the field while experiencing severe blood loss
• 23 of 28 (82.1%) survived to be discharged from the hospital

When someone experiences hemorrhagic shock, timely blood transfusions can make the difference between life and death. By deploying this life-saving intervention in the field instead of waiting until they arrive at the hospital, our Safety and Medical Officers and Paramedics are giving patients every possible chance at survival.

This program was made possible by Arvada Fire's partnership with Intermountain Lutheran Hospital. It's also made possible by Vitalant - Colorado and blood donors who selflessly donate to help save lives!

Arvada Fire partnered with Domino's Pizza this week for a special Fire Prevention Week promotion. The rules were simple: if you ordered a pizza between 3-5 PM, it was delivered by a fire truck. And if our firefighters checked that your smoke alarms were working, your pizza was completely free!

How cool is that? 🚒 🍕

This was part of Domino's partnership with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) with several participating stores across the country. Our Station 57 crew and Community Risk Reduction team partnered with the Domino's on W. 87th Parkway to bring this important safety event right to our community!

During one home visit, we discovered smoke alarms that appeared to be working but were outdated and not actually connected through the hardwiring. Our team installed new alarms and made sure they were properly hardwired and interconnected.

When interconnected smoke alarms are working properly, if one detects smoke, all connected alarms sound. This helps alert everyone in the home, even if a fire starts on another floor or far from where someone is sleeping. Remember to install smoke alarms inside bedrooms, outside sleeping areas, and on every level of the home, and test them monthly!

A big thank you to the Domino’s manager and team for partnering with us to help keep our community safe. We loved delivering fire safety, one pizza at a time!

Ballots for the upcoming election are arriving in mailboxes this week. You can find information about Issue 6C, a sales tax measure to fund Arvada Fire's services, on our website. This includes links to check your registration, find ballot drop-off and polling locations, and both arguments for and against the measure.

Several sales tax exemptions apply to purchases under this measure, including:

• Groceries
• Prescription medications
• Diapers
• School activities
• and all other categories exempt from state sales tax collections

https://www.arvadafireco.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/153

🗓 A regular meeting of the Arvada Fire Board of Directors will be held Wednesday, Oct. 7th at 5:30 PM at Headquarters (7903 Allison Way). Board meetings are open to the public with the exception of executive sessions called by the Board.

Information about agendas, minutes or public comment can be found at:

https://arvadafireco.gov/AgendaCenter

For Fire Prevention Week, we wanted to share a bit about one of our busiest services... free Home Safety Visits!

Arvada Fire doesn't just respond to 911 calls- we're also committed to preventing them, too. Home safety visits are one of our most influential programs. During this service, a firefighter or specialist will visit your home, evaluate and talk about any fire or life safety hazards, and install both smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarms if needed. We share advice and empower the homeowner with safety knowledge, like how to test their new smoke alarms.

We conduct hundreds of visits and install thousands of alarms in our community every year. This is an example of your tax dollars at work and the Arvada Fire difference!

Working smoke alarms should be installed inside bedrooms, outside sleeping areas, and on every level of the home. If you have a question or concern about a safety issue in your home, let us know ⤵

https://www.arvadafireco.gov/201/Home-Safety-Visits

🎨 👨‍🚒 Our Fire Prevention Week Coloring Contest is back! School-aged children are invited to participate to win a ride to school on a fire truck. The rules are simple:

• Print out and color this drawing with Sparky the Fire Dog
• Include the child's name, age, and a parent's contact information
• Mail the drawing to Arvada Fire Headquarters (7903 Allison Way) or email to [email protected] by Oct. 31st
• Participants must live within the Arvada Fire service area

One lucky winner will randomly be drawn from all entrants, winning a ride to school on a fire truck!

Fire Prevention Week is this October. The theme “Charge Into Fire Safety. Safe Charging Is a Superpower” focuses on the everyday charging habits that can help reduce the risk of lithium-ion battery fires and keep homes and communities safer. Learn more 👇

🚑 Company 56 is attending a Touch a Truck event this morning in Arvada.

When our crews aren’t responding to calls or performing other duties, we attend countless public events each year. We typically get to show our apparatus and gear, and share some fire or life safety tips. Just as important, we get to shake hands and meet the community we are proud to serve… and maybe even inspire a future firefighter or two.

Have a safe weekend, everybody!

In the November election, residents of the Arvada Fire Protection District will see Issue 6C on their ballots, a measure addressing funding for emergency services. We want to spend a little longer answering some common questions from the community while detailing:

• What is Issue 6C?
• Why has it been proposed to voters?
• What would funds from 6C be used for?

Arvada Fire has carefully monitored its financial position, including revenues, expenditures, forecasts, and other factors that affect the district’s long-term financial health. Despite these efforts, the district is facing a significant budget shortfall in the coming years. One contributing factor is the state-imposed cap on property tax revenue the district can collect and retain.

Over the years, Arvada Fire has strategically deferred or paused certain capital improvements to manage available resources. While these decisions have helped address short-term financial pressures, continued deferral comes with long-term consequences. The cost of maintaining and replacing essential equipment, vehicles, facilities, technology, and other resources continues to increase. At the same time, the demand for emergency services continues to grow. Arvada Fire is responding to more calls, including medical emergencies, while also preparing for increased wildfire risk and meeting evolving training and operational requirements.

Issue 6C is intended to address these long-term funding challenges and help ensure Arvada Fire can continue providing reliable emergency services to our community today and into the future.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞 𝟔𝐂?

Issue 6C is a proposed 1.0% sales tax measure, generating approximately $23.1M annually to fund Arvada Fire's long-term funding needs. This proposal exempts items such as sales of food for domestic home consumption, prescription medicines, diapers, school activities and all other categories exempt from state sales tax collections. Colorado Senate Bill 24-194 passed allowing special districts to diversify revenue sources, so as not to be heavily dependent on property tax.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞 𝟔𝐂 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬?

Arvada Fire is facing increased demand and rising costs with challenges due to inflation and recent state legislation such as:

• The costs of life-saving equipment in the fire service are rapidly rising, affecting items like fire apparatus, ambulances, medical equipment, personal protective gear, maintenance, and more. For example, a fire engine cost $755,000 in 2020, and costs about $1.37 million today, an increase of more than 81%.

• State legislation passed in 2024 (HB24B-1001) limits property-tax revenue growth for fire protection districts to 10.5% over two years, making it harder for districts to keep pace with rising costs. The legislation superseded prior voter-approved measures to “de-Gallagherize” property tax revenue passed by the voters in 2018.

• Calls for service have steadily increased, rising from 14,949 in 2016 to 19,025 in 2025.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟔𝐂 𝐛𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫?

The revenue collected by the sales tax will be used to overcome a projected budget shortfall and maintain Arvada Fire’s current level of services. This includes: maintaining firefighter and paramedic staffing levels to safely respond to emergencies; providing and maintaining emergency vehicles, equipment and modern facilities for public and first responder safety; and retaining and attracting highly qualified first responders.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬?

If new funding is not secured, Arvada Fire would reduce spending over the next two years and may not be able to maintain the current level of services. This could affect items such as staffing levels, the timely replacement of fire apparatus or facilities, and more.

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐀𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐝𝐚 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞

Fire protection began in Arvada 119 years ago in 1907. Today, Arvada Fire currently maintains 11 active fire stations throughout approximately 60 square miles in the City of Arvada, the northern portion of the City of Wheat Ridge, the community of Fairmount, and portions of unincorporated Jefferson County. Arvada Fire is an accredited, ISO Class 1 agency.

Arvada Fire is special tax district organized in May of 1949 under Title 32 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. As a special district form of government, Arvada Fire is not a part of the City of Arvada or affiliated with any city or county government.

𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬

Additional information—including ballot language, how to vote, and arguments for and against the measure—can be found at: arvadafireco.gov/6c

Another informational resource is available at: talkarvadafireco.com

Details on sales tax exemptions: https://tax.colorado.gov/sales-tax-rate-changes