AURORA | Sable Altura Fire Rescue opened a new substation at the Sage Ridge Supportive Residential Community Campus in Watkins to support faster emergency response times in the surrounding area.
The substation is being opened in partnership with Arapahoe County and the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. In a press release announcing the substation, Sable Altura Fire Rescue Chief Rich Solomon called the substation “a critical advancement for our response capabilities.”
“It provides a strategic jumping-off point that significantly improves our response times in the southern part of our district, which is a major enhancement to our operational effectiveness and public safety,” Solomon said.
The station will be located in the southern part of the Sable Alture fire district, on East Quincy Avenue in Watkins, and cover both Arapahoe and Adams counties.
The substation plans to launch dispatch operations with phased-in staffing and local affairs department officials expect to start construction later this month on the station, which will include housing for two firefighters.
In addition to serving as a firefighting hub, the substation will have on-site vocational training in emergency medical services for the residents of Sage Ridge, which is a transitional housing community for people who are homelessness or have substance use disorders.
Sage Ridge is managed by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs.
Arapahoe County Commissioner Leslie Summey said the project is an important collaboration for the community.
“By partnering to provide these essential services, we are ensuring that our residents have the support and protection they deserve during these difficult fire seasons,” Summey said in the release.
Maria De Cambra, executive director of the local affairs department, said in the release that the station will help strengthen the community’s ability to respond to wildfires.
“By integrating critical fire services at Sage Ridge and the surrounding communities, we are building a more resilient foundation for the region,” De Cambra said.