New Fire Station 3 south of Rollinsville to improve emergency response in Gilpin County
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Featured speakers at Timberline Station 3 Grand Opening on July 20, 2026. From left to right: Max Coker, Rick Wenzel III, Paul Ondr, Sallie Clark, and Chris La May. All were involved in the funding or development of the new facility
Timberline Operations Chief Chris Schimanskey and Timberline Administrative Chief Jennifer Hinderman simulate cutting the ribbon by uncoupling the fire hoses to open the new Timberline Fire Station 3.
Dedication plaque for Timberline Station 3. Timberline's motto on the plaque reads "Setting THE standard for service, safety and community relationships in the rural environment."
Beckie DiMauro and Jan Hinderman receive their Unsung Hero awards for their family sacrifices during the construction of Station 3. Sallie Clark the USDA State Director of Colorado looks on.
Upgrades to Fire Station 3 included making the facility ADA accessible.
40,000-gallon water storage tank behind the bays. The water tank is plumbed to the bays so that the fire engines can refill during an emergency directly from the station.
Crowd gathering to hear the invited speakers and watch the ribbon cutting ceremony which involved decoupling fire hose.
A hamburger and hot dog picnic was served on the back patio. It was a chance to chat with community friends and discuss fire conditions and weather forecasts.
Timberline Fire Chief Paul Ondr and Timberline Board President Rick Wenzel prior to the speeches and ribbon cutting at the grand opening of Station 3.
GILPIN COUNTY — In a fusion of old and new, and to protect what is precious to all, the Timberline Fire Protection District hosted the grand opening of Fire Station 3 on June 20 south of Rollinsville.
The event featured tours of the facility, a picnic, speeches by invited dignitaries, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony that was symbolized by a decoupling of fire hoses.
In his remarks, Timberline Fire Chief Paul Ondr spoke about the efforts by Timberline to improve emergency response times to the Rollinsville area through the acquisition of the Fitz Peak Observatory in 2022 from the federal government and then building a three-bay addition for fire engines. A 40,000-gallon cistern for water storage was added so that the fire engines could refill from the station.
The renovation of the observatory included crew quarters, administrative offices, ADA access, and a sprinkler system. The three bays were chiseled out of the rocky peak and grafted onto the old observatory to create a modern emergency services center that can rapidly respond to structure fires, wildfires, car crashes, and other emergencies in the area.
Ondr said upgrades to the old building and the addition cost about $2.5 million in total. Timberline received a grant of $908,000 from USDA World Development, and a $200,000 grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. The remainder is being financed through a 15-year loan.
Other featured speakers at the ceremony included Rick Wenzel III, Timberline board president; Sallie Clark, USDA State Director of Colorado; Chris La May, North Central Regional Manager for DOLA; and Max Coker, director of outreach for US House Representative Joe Neguse.
Clark and La May were at the groundbreaking ceremony in 2025 and both extended congratulations from President Trump and Governor Polis on the completion of the project.
Coker said Representative Neguse wanted to express the debt of gratitude that is owed to the first responders and firefighters for their selfless service. The one way that can come close to paying that debt, he said, is by making sure that they have the resources and equipment that they need so that they can come home to their families safely.
Wenzel recognized Chief Ondr and Administrative Chief Jennifer Hinderman for their tireless efforts for the project and the organization. Wenzel also gave Unsung Hero awards to Jan Hinderman and Beckie DiMauro for their family sacrifices during the construction of the new facility. The awards came in the form of fire helmets.
The architectural team of Matt Brooksmith, Paul Vanderheiden, and Marci Brake from Arete Inspired PLLC were also in attendance. Brooksmith said there were no blueprints for the original building, so the architects had to rely on old photographs of the original construction to figure out how to integrate the existing structure with the new addition.
KCI Construction was also recognized for their diligence and creativity in solving the myriad problems that confronted them throughout the project.
The “ribbon-cutting” part of the ceremony featured an uncoupling of two fire hoses by Timberline Operations Chief Chris Schimanskey and Hinderman.
Wenzel concluded the ceremony by unveiling the dedication plaque that will be displayed on the building. The plaque dedicates the building to the citizens and visitors to the District and surrounding area.
The Timberline motto is also on the plaque. It reads, “Setting THE standard for service, safety and community relationships in the rural environment.”
With the new station now open, the next order of business for Timberline will be building out the staff at the station and making it part of the community for years to come.
For more information about Timberline or volunteering, contact Jennifer Hinderman at jhinderman@timberlinefire.com or 303-582-5768 x701.
