Tamara Markard
Greeley Tribune
WINDSOR, Colo. — It was a momentous occasion on Saturday as the Windsor-Severance Fire Rescue opened its doors to welcome the community for the dedication of its newest facility.
Station 4, at 1350 New Liberty Road in Windsor, is the newest firehouse for the organization, which has locations at 100 N. 7th St. in downtown Windsor, 9 Timber Ridge Parkway in Severance and 7790 REA Parkway in the Highland Meadows subdivision.
The 16,600-square-foot facility sits on nearly 13 acres and encompasses state-of-the-art training and work features including cancer awareness and mental health pieces, top-of-the-line exhaust and extractor equipment, an underground search-and-rescue training area and much more.
The new station will house one fire engine, a water tender and a brush truck with the space to add an ambulance later if needed.
The cost of the facility was about $7 million, which was funded in part by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs.
“It’s built to last 50 years, and we really designed it with longevity in mind,with growth in mind. It’s designed to be able to grow with our community if we need it to,” Fire Chief Kris Kazian said. “We picked this location based upon call response and ability to enhance our response time.”
The new facility also boasts some “creature comforts” such as an outdoor fire pit and barbecue area, a gym with the latest equipment and comfortable, spacious living areas.
“Our firefighters live here 48 hours at a time, and so when we come back from an incident that may have been a little bit difficult or challenging, they can come back to a place that is inviting and warm,” Kazian said. “The view out of the back of the fire station is absolutely stunning.”
During the ceremony, Kazian swore in seven new part-time firefighters: Brian Jones, Micah Garcia, Jael Morgan, Aaron Hickey, Timothy Amidon, Patrick Kuklinski and Shawn Montoya.
“We’ve been hiring full-time people throughout this process to get us ready for today,” Kazian said. “We hired nine new people over the last 18 to 24 months.”
Fire chiefs from the Greeley, LaSalle and Loveland fire departments were in attendance as well as other community leaders, residents and representatives from businesses and organizations, all showing support for the agency’s newest station.
“This is quite an impressive facility, and it seems like it was just yesterday that we were out here breaking ground on this,” Windsor Mayor Paul Rennemeyer said. “This is a big day for Windsor. Windsor is very supportive of public safety. That’s why we approved the bond mill levy for this to occur. It’s a beautiful house, and I am proud of this facility.”
While the groundbreaking for the new facility took place on June 12, 2021, plans to add another firehouse to the organization have been in the works since February 2020.
As with many projects, the organization faced supply chain issues, equipment issues, work shortages, COVID and more.
“We’ve experienced it all,” Kazian said, laughing. “The build has been challenging, but exciting and fun.”
To learn more, go to www.wsfr.us.
Interesting facts about the new station
* 18,000-cubic yards of dirt were hauled away or placed around the facility
* Nearly 50% of the companies that worked on the project were companies located within the fire district
* 98% of the project was completed by businesses located in northern Colorado
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