The men and women of our police and fire departments work hard every day to keep our city safe. The Better Denver Program will improve our public safety infrastructure and fund several essential projects that will help our police and fire services to be even more effective.
Police Facility Complete
On June 28th, Denver officials gathered to dedicate the construction of a new multi-purpose Denver Police site funded through the voter-approved Better Denver Bonds.
A project budget of $12.3 million allowed for new construction and remodeling of existing facilities encompassing a total of nearly 50,000 square feet over two structures. The new construction houses the Police Firearms Training Section. The renovation of an old warehouse provides new space for the Traffic Operations Bureau and Traffic Operations Unit which are now together under one roof. The new facilities will enhance public safety and police services, and increase the coordination and efficiency of police operations.
Fire Station Renovations Are Complete
Bond-funded renovations were completed in December 2009 at five fire stations (6, 11, 23, 24 and 25) serving the Baker, Harvey, Athmar and University Park neighborhoods. The renovation work had been identified though a Fire Facilities Master Plan done in 2003. To minimize disruption, only a few of the stations were worked on at a time, and fire crews were temporarily relocated during the work. All crews are now back in their respective stations.
Where possible and practicable, the work incorporated environmentally sustainable and efficient features, using GreenPrint Denver guidelines. The station renovations included replacements or upgrades touching items from the list below, which were done at most, but not necessarily all locations:
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Roofs – at some locations
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Energy efficient R30 insulation – at some stations
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Exterior walls
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Energy efficient windows
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Doors
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Concrete – using 20% fly ash, a recycled material, as well as recycling the old concrete.
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HVAC –New more radiant heaters at all 5 stations (more efficient and effective in dispersing heat than old ceiling vent unit heaters). New swamp coolers were installed to replace the less efficient window-mounted air conditioning units
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Plumbing – low flow plumbing fixtures (toilets, sinks, showers) to save water
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Electrical – including energy efficient lighting, and new electrical panels where needed
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Interior floors
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Ceiling /Interior Walls
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Kitchen – including appliances, flooring, countertops and cabinets
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Dispatch – including traffic signalization override switch
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Hose Tower refurbishment, where needed
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Storage Lockers
Additionally, a few unique issues were addressed at certain stations, such as the need for a sewer line replacement at Fire Station 24, which had frequent sewer problems.
New Denver Police Crime Lab
The Schematic Design phase is underway for the new Denver Police Crime Lab which will provide state-of-the-art criminal investigation facilities. A public meeting was held in October 2009 to present information about the project, and to get neighborhood and stakeholder input. The overall bond funding for the project is $36 million. The Crime Lab will be located on the southeast corner of Delaware Street and W. 14th Avenue in Denver (
see site location map).