WESTERN STATES FIRE COMPLETES COLORADO CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION

Western States Fire Protection Company installed an automatic fire sprinkler system for the Colorado Convention Center Phase II Expansion. This 285 million dollar project doubled the size of the Convention Center, adding approximately 1,400,000 square feet of new space and transformed the building into a landmark that represents a gateway to downtown Denver. The project was completed in January 2005.
The expansion includes:

• New 1,000-space parking garage.
• New 5,000 fixed-seat auditorium.
• New 50,000 square foot ballroom.
• Existing exhibit hall increased from 290,000 to 600,000 square feet that can be divided into blocks of space according to the needs of the event.
• 23 new covered truck-loading docks, served by their own roadway that completely encircles the building.
• The existing 65,000 square feet of meeting space was increased to 93,000 square feet.

Western States Fire Protection Company installed 23 dry systems feeding the parking structure, loading docks and over the RTD light rail track & Stout Street. They also installed 25 wet systems feeding the exhibit hall, ballroom and lecture hall meeting rooms; 60 additional fire hose valve stations and 4 separate valve rooms. Approximately 15,000 fire sprinkler heads were added with the expansion project.

Project Challenges
The new design required the city street and light rail train be relocated from it's existing alignment which was in the middle of the new Convention Center expansion. The city street and light rail train was moved north, to bend around the expansion. This required the Convention Center be built over the top of the light rail in order to facilitate the installation of the overhead catenary power lines, which were anchored to the new building. The work had to take place while the street and light rail line were still in service. Very tight coordination limited the outages to the weekends. Due to careful planning, the rail service did not have any un-scheduled downtime.

The fire detection system had to be incorporated into the existing fire alarm panel while not taking the system off line for over eight hours. Western States Fire Protection Company was able to design and install a new fire alarm panel and make a single point termination from each existing fire alarm device to the new panel, with no interruptions to the facility.
Duringthe first quarter of construction, the owner requested that the parking garage be completed a year early so that they could generate revenue from the parking fees. Western States Fire Protection Company was able to design and install a temporary life safety and egress path in order to receive a TCO from the City of Denver in order to open the 1,000 car garage early.

Click here for more information on the Colorado Convention Center expansion project

Western States Fire Protection, Inc.

At Western States Fire Protection Inc. protecting lives and property is more than just a slogan - it's our purpose. It's what drives us and keeps us going each day.

WSFP built a national reputation in the industry by living out our mission:

QUALITY SOLUTIONS FOR THE PROTECTION OF LIVES AND PROPERTY, PROVIDING AN EXCEPTIONAL VALUE TO OUR CUSTOMERS.

WSFP is a full-service fire protection contractor with 26 locations west of the Mississippi, including Fire Protection Services, National Fire Suppression and Statewide Fire Protection divisions. We have a wide range of expertise in service, inspection, commercial, residential, industrial and retrofit construction. With the experience, determination and the know-how to handle any project that comes our way - WSFP has the people to make a difference.

Construction services are performed by a strong team of quality individuals, with safety in mind and a commitment to provide customers with products and services to exceed expectations. We offer a high level of professionalism to ensure customer satisfaction. Our integrity is unsurpassed.

Western States Fire Protection Co. is on the front line each day to help build a safer environment for our clients in the areas we do business.

We Train Leaders

At WSFP we pride ourselves on our people. Part of what drives our people to be the best is the extensive training we provide. Every person in every phase of the operation has the opportunity to expand on their everyday skills. From the Corporate Design Center, where we train in design and project management, to the individual branch offices, where field personnel have the chance to fine tune their skills on actual systems.

Our Kansas City Training Room system was designed by our team and installed by a Local 314 apprenticeship class. The room's system offers hands-on training for field installers, and visualization for our designers, clients and AHJs. There are nine systems using the latest technology along with a location built to install a fire pump.

Our Albuquerque Training Room offers access to different parts of systems and a monthly class focused on a variety of topics. The continued training provides the Albuquerque field and office personnel with a competitive edge over the local competition.

Western States Fire Protection stays committed to developing the finest talents in the industry.