West Metro Fire Rescue Under Pressure | Denver News

West Metro Fire Rescue is stretched to the breaking point, juggling skyrocketing emergency calls—with a 21% jump since 2017—while deploying crews across Colorado to battle wildfires. Fire Chief Jeremy Metz reveals the department’s resources are woefully inadequate: fire trucks now cost over $1.3 million (up from $600K a decade ago) and take years to build, while funding has actually shrunk despite rising property taxes. Serving a growing population in a high-risk wildland area, they’re forced to respond to emergencies at home even as they’re pulled away elsewhere. With staffing and station shortages mounting, every second counts—and the crew is burning out under the strain. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/7082315326d799b7