Aurora, one of Colorado’s fastest-growing cities, is projected to see its population rise by nearly 40 percent by 2050. In anticipation of this growth, the City of Aurora developed its first Public Safety Facilities Master Plan. This 25-year, $1.5 billion initiative outlines a comprehensive strategy to upgrade and expand infrastructure for the police, fire, and Aurora911 departments.
However, a plan of this magnitude requires more than just new buildings. It requires a long-term vision for how facilities will operate, evolve, and remain dependable for decades.
This is where the collaboration between the City, Roth Sheppard, and The RMH Group became critical. Architects shape civic identity by designing fire stations that blend into neighborhoods, support first responders, and reflect community values. Engineers, meanwhile, deliver the systems that keep those stations functioning in all conditions.
RMH served as the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineering consultant and was pivotal in assessing the condition of existing systems and charting a path toward facilities that are both modern and resilient. The team conducted detailed evaluations of existing public safety buildings and uncovered several critical issues. These included aging HVAC systems, inefficient electrical distribution, code compliance gaps, and limited backup power capacity. Each of these deficiencies posed risks to operational continuity and increased long-term maintenance costs.
Beyond identifying problems, RMH developed basis-of-design criteria to guide future renovations and new construction. The firm recommended clean air handling systems for fire stations and designed redundant power solutions for dispatch centers. These strategies were developed to enhance performance and safeguard emergency operations from disruption.
RMH also contributed to Aurora’s IT Infrastructure Resiliency Plan. In today’s environment, uninterrupted communication is just as essential as lighting or fire suppression. The firm’s input helped strengthen the city’s ability to respond swiftly and reliably in critical situations.
The result is more than a facilities plan. It is a framework for resilience. By combining Roth Sheppard’s architectural insight with RMH’s engineering expertise, Aurora has laid the foundation for a public safety infrastructure that can grow with the city, withstand disruption, and serve the community for generations.
