Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Fire Response topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
South Metro Fire reports Centennial plane crash, wildland deployments and seeks 3-mill levy increase
Summary
South Metro Fire updated Centennial city council members on a Sept. 5 plane crash response, recent wildland deployments, new community programs and a board-approved request to place a 3-mill levy increase before voters.
Cammy Chapman, human resources director for South Metro Fire, told the City of Centennial council at its Sept. 9 study session that crews responded to a fully engulfed airplane near Centennial Airport on Sept. 5 that resulted in two fatalities.
“The plane was fully engulfed in flames and they quickly acted,” Chapman said. She said crews extinguished flames before adjacent infrastructure — including a nearby building and diesel power generators — caught fire. Chapman said the National Transportation Safety Board has taken the investigation and South Metro was offering condolences to the families of the two people who died.
The department also reported multiple recent wildland deployments, including responses to the Everly Fire, Stoner Mesa Fire, Pomes Fire and Derby Fire in Colorado and deployments in Southern California. Chapman said those mutual‑aid deployments reflect South Metro’s commitments to partner agencies while maintaining staffing in its district.
Chapman said South Metro has adopted a section of University Boulevard between Arapahoe Road and Orchard through CDOT’s Adopt‑a‑Highway program; staff and family members collected eight bags of trash during a first cleanup. She also described a return‑to‑school outreach: the department’s Community Risk Reduction specialists are offering a “Sound Off” program for third‑grade classes across the district to teach students how to recognize hazardous sounds and how to respond.
Chapman said South Metro’s board of directors voted at its Aug. 19 meeting to pursue a request to voters to increase the district’s mill levy by three mills. “We’re diligently working right now with the county to get that action up in place,” she said. Chapman referenced the department’s Engaged South Metro website for estimated taxpayer impact, saying, “I believe it’s… like, a $180 for a $700,000 house per year,” but she cautioned she did not want to misstate the figure and directed residents to the website for official numbers.
Council members thanked South Metro for its airport response and asked about the levy estimate and program outreach. Council member Sweetland specifically referenced the department’s rapid response at Centennial Airport and asked about household cost estimates; Chapman reiterated the department’s online materials and encouraged residents to view Engaged South Metro for the official calculation.
The department provided no timetable for the levy measure beyond ongoing coordination with county officials and did not present formal ballot language or a vote tally from the Aug. 19 board meeting during the study session.
Ending: Council members offered thanks and no formal city action was taken at the session. South Metro representatives said they would continue outreach and coordination with Arapahoe County concerning the levy request and investigation updates from the NTSB.
