New Pueblo West fire station under construction with hopes to improve response times

PUEBLO WEST, Colo. (KRDO) - After years of waiting, construction is underway in Pueblo West for its newest fire station. Fire officials believe this new station will improve response times.

Fire Station No. 2, which is being built at 715 S McCulloch Blvd., will cost $5 million to build. According to Pueblo West officials, the funding comes from a voter-approved ballot issue.

"I think the most important thing is to thank the voters of the Pueblo West," Division Fire Chief JJ King said. "They're the ones that made this happen. They realized there was finally a need. They passed that tax. And that's what's helping us build this."

The hope is the new station will change the response times. Currently, it takes 12 to 20 minutes for fire engines to make it out of the southwest area of Pueblo West. King says that response times could be as low as four to six minutes.

The new fire station won't just cut response times, it will also cut costs for nearby homeowners in the coming years. Fire officials said that homes within a five-mile radius receive lower rates on their homeowner's insurance because it lowers the risk of an insured property if firefighters are able to get there quickly.

Construction on the new station is set to be completed in the summer of 2024.