Good Morning, Colorado, and welcome to the Daily Sun-Up. It’s Monday December 21st, and we’re feeling lucky to start the day with you. Join us daily for an in-depth look at one of our top stories. Today, we’re sharing a conversation with Don Lombardi, chief of the West Metro Fire Protection District, about when firefighters are going to receive the covid-19 vaccine.

Before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

Today, we take you back to December 21st, 1979 when Governor Richard Lamm rode in an antique Colorado State Patrol car through a tunnel high in the Rocky Mountains. It was part of a ceremony to dedicate the completed twin bores of a corridor for the Interstate 70 - piercing the Continental Divide.

And now, our feature story. 

As Coloradans begin receiving the coronavirus vaccine, there are looming questions about the timing of when certain groups will get access to the inoculation. 

There are also frustrations, too, about how Gov. Jared Polis' vaccine priority plan was laid out. 

Some firefighters, for example, feel they should have been prioritized alongside health care workers to receive the vaccine first. Instead, they and other first responders are second in line. 

We spoke with Don Lombardi, chief of the West Metro Fire Protection District, earlier this month about why he thinks firefighters should be moved up in line. 

A spokesman for Colorado Gov. Jared Polis sent us this statement: 

“The people of Colorado are grateful for the sacrifices of our firefighters and we’re confident that they agree with the Governor that our moral obligation is to first prioritize vaccinating seniors and the elderly living in nursing homes, as they are at far greater risk of death from this virus, and simultaneously to inoculate our frontline healthcare heroes who treat COVID patients in a direct way on a day-to-day basis. Our brave first responders are in the next immediate phase.”

And thank you all for listening. Finally, here are a few stories you should know about today:

The bodies of two backcountry skiers were found in avalanche debris near Silverton on Saturday. The skiers were reported overdue and later found dead in an area known as “the Battleship,” which is southeast of Ophir Pass.

Roughly 280,000 Coloradans will lose their unemployment benefits on the day after Christmas.

Colorado vineyards say an October freeze will chill their 2021 vintage. This is the second vineyard-damaging freeze in just over a year.

University of Colorado professor Daniel Larremore and his research team have modeled which vaccine allocation strategies save the most lives

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. Now, a quick message from our editor.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning, Colorado, and welcome to the Daily Sun-Up. It&rsquo;s Monday December 21st, and we&rsquo;re feeling lucky to start the day with you. Join us daily for an in-depth look at one of our top stories. Today, we&rsquo;re sharing a conversation with Don Lombardi, chief of the West Metro Fire Protection District, about when firefighters are going to receive the covid-19 vaccine.
Before we begin, let&rsquo;s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett&rsquo;s book &ldquo;Colorado Day by Day&rdquo;:
Today, we take you back to December 21st, 1979 when Governor Richard Lamm rode in an antique Colorado State Patrol car through a tunnel high in the Rocky Mountains. It was part of a ceremony to dedicate the completed twin bores of a corridor for the Interstate 70 - piercing the Continental Divide.
And now, our feature story.&nbsp;
As Coloradans begin receiving the coronavirus vaccine, there are looming questions about the timing of when certain groups will get access to the inoculation.&nbsp;
There are also frustrations, too, about how Gov. Jared Polis' vaccine priority plan was laid out.&nbsp;
Some firefighters, for example, feel they should have been prioritized alongside health care workers to receive the vaccine first. Instead, they and other first responders are second in line.&nbsp;
We spoke with Don Lombardi, chief of the West Metro Fire Protection District, earlier this month about why he thinks firefighters should be moved up in line.&nbsp;
A spokesman for Colorado Gov. Jared Polis sent us this statement:&nbsp;
&ldquo;The people of Colorado are grateful for the sacrifices of our firefighters and we&rsquo;re confident that they agree with the Governor that our moral obligation is to first prioritize vaccinating seniors and the elderly living in nursing homes, as they are at far greater risk of death from this virus, and simultaneously to inoculate our frontline healthcare heroes who treat COVID patients in a direct way on a day-to-day basis. Our brave first responders are in the next immediate phase.&rdquo;
And thank you all for listening. Finally, here are a few stories you should know about today:
The bodies of two backcountry skiers were found in avalanche debris near Silverton on Saturday. The skiers were reported overdue and later found dead in an area known as &ldquo;the Battleship,&rdquo; which is southeast of Ophir Pass.
Roughly 280,000 Coloradans will lose their unemployment benefits on the day after Christmas.
Colorado vineyards say an October freeze will chill their 2021 vintage. This is the second vineyard-damaging freeze in just over a year.
University of Colorado professor Daniel Larremore and his research team have modeled which vaccine allocation strategies save the most lives
For more information on all of these stories, visit our website,<a href="http://www.coloradosun.com/"> www.coloradosun.com</a>. Now, a quick message from our editor.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Welcome to The Colorado Sun's daily podcast, The Daily Sun-Up. Every day we’re sharing an in-depth look at one of our top stories, followed by a quick summary of important things happening in our state. For more visit us at https://coloradosun.com/.

The Daily Sun-Up

Welcome to The Colorado Sun's daily podcast, The Daily Sun-Up. Every day we’re sharing an in-depth look at one of our top stories, followed by a quick summary of important things happening in our state. For more visit us at https://coloradosun.com/.

Our intro music is by Matt Skellenger Group: https://mattskellenger.bandcamp.com/album/subspace-transmission 

Welcome to The Colorado Sun's daily podcast, The Daily Sun-Up. Every day we&rsquo;re sharing an in-depth look at one of our top stories, followed by a quick summary of important things happening in our state. For more visit us at <a href="https://coloradosun.com/">https://coloradosun.com/</a>.
Our intro music is by Matt Skellenger Group: <a href="https://mattskellenger.bandcamp.com/album/subspace-transmission">https://mattskellenger.bandcamp.com/album/subspace-transmission</a>&nbsp;