My story beings with being a life-long citizen of Commerce City (where I still reside today) and being associated (through my late father Steve Vincel) with South Adams Fire Department since 1978.   I have been a member of South Adams County Fire Department since 1995 (28 years), and that time has led me to realize what a vast, diverse, and amazing Fire Department and community we serve. We protect approximately 75 square miles, mostly made up of Commerce City with small areas of Adams County. In the past South Adams County Fire Department was made up of all volunteers until 2014 when the beginning of career fire stations was put in place due to the vast growth of our Fire District. The rich history of the SACFD dates back to 1942 when a group of WW2 veterans started the Fire Department with one station located at 69th and Dahlia. Since then, we have occupied (6) 24 hour staffed fire stations located throughout the city, a Head Quarters building, EMS Ambulance Center, Indoor/Outdoor Training Facilities, and Vehicle/Building Maintenance facility. Since the beginning of SACFD’s existence, the motto has always been to strive for great service, great leadership, use tax dollars wisely, and hire staff and firefighters that have pride and excellence in the community they serve.

Today the South Adams County Fire Department responds to over 10,000 medical and fire calls per year.  The diverse area we cover includes major highways, large industrial areas, commercial and residential properties, and the only refinery in the State of Colorado.  SACFD is a special place with traditional roots, passion, innovation, and dedication that will always strive for what is best for our community and citizens that reside here and travel through. As an organization, we pride ourselves on what is written on our fire apparatus “Serving our community with pride and excellence.”

Since 2015 SACFD has hired over 76 Firefighters and 32 administrative personnel and counting.  We have replaced dated fire apparatus, fire gear, SCBA, built a new indoor training/wellness facility, purchased a new Haz-Com unit, and purchased one of the only “Blocker Apparatuses,” in the state.  We strive on looking for innovative ways to provide our firefighters with the best while being good constituents with tax dollars.  Some of the internal milestones SACFD has completed are SACFD  a strategic plan that can be viewed on the website, CPSE accreditation modules on standards of cover and self-assessment modules (in hopes of being  a fully accredited Fire Department in the beginning of 2024), and in 20023 also improved our ISO 2 score from an 80 to an 86 ½.