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The History of SWAC Fire
| In February of 1946, a meeting
was held to establish the need for a fire department in the area. Four
men attended the meeting and the fire department was formed. Eight
people attended the second meeting and thirty attended the third. It was
at the third meeting that the preliminary plans were drawn up and
approved, despite problems concerning sectionalism between Berkeley
Gardens, Goat Hill, and Baker that threatened to put a quick end to the
idea of a fire department.
On April 11, 1946, temporary officers were elected to establish bylaws and a department constitution. On April 18, 1946, the name for the department was chosen. Among the suggestions were the Federal Fire Department, the Clear Creek Fire Department, the Baker Fire Department, the Union Fire Department, and the Southwest Adams County Fire Department. On May 9, 1946, the incorporation papers were signed, the constitution and bylaws were adopted, and the Southwest Adams County Fire Department became official. On August 2, 1946, the membership voted on purchasing 17 lots of land located at 6740 Lowell Blvd, where the first firehouse was to be built. On November 16, 1948, construction was completed and the first membership meeting was held in the new station. On Sept. 20, 1946, an election took place to
establish the first Board of Directors for the department.
In March of 1948, the first fire coats were
purchased, which were actually World War II Army surplus trench coats.
At about the same time the first SCBA (self contained breathing
apparatus) were purchased. In 1948, the first uniforms and badges were
purchased and issued to firefighters. In 1993, George Ditolla was hired as the first career chief of the Department. By 1999, with an increasing number of fire calls, the first 10 career firefighters were hired, providing 24 hour staffing to the stations. In 2002, there were 12 career firefighters, a career chief, a career fire marshal, and a career training officer / fleet maintenance officer, all of this still supported by 33 volunteer members of the department. On May 7th 2002, the citizens of the district approved a mill levy increase that supported the hiring of 21 additional firefighters, including 6 paramedics, and the ability to provide our district its own ambulance service. 2006 is the 60th Anniversary of the Southwest Adams County Fire Department! From humble beginnings to 24 hour service provided by professional firefighters, we are always ready to serve at a moments notice. |
Even
though the department was not officially organized and did not have a
board of officers or even district boundaries, the first truck was
purchased. It was a 1935 Chevrolet that had been converted from a
garbage truck and was purchased from the South Adams County Fire
Department for $500 on a "use now pay later" plan. The truck was kept in
one of the firefighter's barns near 6200 Lowell Blvd. Eventually this
truck was sold to Salida, Colorado for the same purchase price.
In
April of 1947, the department's second truck was voted on and approved,
with two members being selected to build the truck from a factory
chassis. The chassis arrived in June of 1947 and the men began their
work. When completed, the truck was equipped with a 750 gallon water
tank and a high pressure pump. During the next several years, this truck
became the prototype for fire trucks in the surrounding areas. It was
the first in Colorado that utilized high pressure fog streams to
extinguish fires and received a lot of coverage in the media.
In
May of 1953, SWAC became the first volunteer department in the area to
be radio dispatched. By 1960, the department was well established,
purchasing several new pieces of equipment and establishing a credit
union for the firefighters. In April of 1975, Adams County
Communications (ADCOM) formed and took over the dispatching needs of the
department.