About Station No. 2
The voter-approved Ballot Issue 6A authorized a temporary sales tax increase of 1.0% through 2030. The funds raised from this tax would be placed in a dedicated fund used solely for the purpose of funding the Pueblo West Fire Department. The ballot language approved the following:
- The construction of a new fire station in the southwest portion of Pueblo West
- Staffing of the new fire station with additional firefighters.
- Provide funding for capital equipment and projects related to the Fire Department
- Maintenance and upkeep of the Fire Department and fire protection resources.
In November 2022, voters approved Ballot Issue 6D, which asked to retain these excess revenues. The excess revenues were officially applied to the sales tax fund on Jan. 1, 2023.
Fire Station No. 2 construction
- The tax is funding the construction of Fire Station No. 2, which will be built at 715 S. McCulloch Blvd. West next to the Dollar General store.
- The first step toward building the station was to determine the project architect (HB&A Architects) and a project builder (Nunn Construction). These contracts were approved by the Metro District Board of Directors in 2022.
The Fire Department held an open house in October 2022 to show residents the architectural drawings and release an initial construction timeline.
Groundbreaking took place on Sept. 8, 2023. Barring any unforeseen issues, construction will take approximately 8 months. This translates to the new station opening in May 2024.
New staffing
- In 2022, 12 new firefighters were hired with funds from the tax. These firefighters will staff the new station once it is built.
- Currently, these new firefighters are staffed at Fire Station No. 1 on the south side of Pueblo West, or at Fire Station No. 3 on the north side.
- The increase in personnel was needed to meet National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) minimum staffing standards.
