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Sgt. Terry Leitch handed over a heater to an Aspen resident outside the Aspen Police Department on Monday, December 28, 2020. In just over an hour, all the heaters were claimed without heat by residents due to the gas outage in the Aspen area. People waited in line in their cars and walked to receive their heater. The Aspen Police Department expects another truckload of heaters. (Kelsey Brunner / The Aspen Times)
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Aspen residents demand heaters outside the Aspen police station to heat their homes during a gas outage on Monday, December 28, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner / The Aspen Times)
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Detective Danielle Madril has a heater placed in a vehicle while Rachel Beck, left, and sergeant. Terry Leitch unpacks cabinets with heaters outside the Aspen Police Station on Monday, December 28, 2020 (Kelsey Brunner / The Aspen Times)
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Aspen residents demand heaters outside the Aspen police station to heat their homes during a gas outage on Monday, December 28, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner / The Aspen Times)
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Detective Danielle Madril gives a heater in a vehicle outside the Aspen Police Department on Monday, December 28, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner / The Aspen Times)
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Aspen residents demand heaters outside the Aspen police station to heat their homes during a gas outage on Monday, December 28, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner / The Aspen Times)
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Detective Danielle Madril gives a heater in a vehicle outside the Aspen Police Department on Monday, December 28, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner / The Aspen Times)
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Community Response Officer Rachel Beck talks to a Aspen resident before giving a space heater outside the Aspen Police Department on Monday, December 28, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner / The Aspen Times)
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The Aspen police station distributed heaters Monday night to people who do not have heat in their homes due to a town-wide natural gas outage.
Assistant Chief of Police Bill Linn said Monday at 5 p.m., the first shipment of nearly 4,000 space heaters will be delivered by Denver through Black Hills Energy.
At about 6:15 p.m., Linn said at the community meeting that the first 400 heaters were distributed. A second truck arrived shortly before 7 p.m., and distribution resumed.
The space heaters are distributed in a zone in Main Street in front of the APD building, between Spring and Hunter streets in the western lane.
People are asked to drive to the charging area and wait in line until someone gives them a heater.
“We will do contactless distribution,” officials said in an update Monday night. “When you pull up your passenger window, we turn on a heater.”
Dozens of cars were backed around Original Curve, waiting to be thrown by a police officer as the snow fell harder during the hour.
The officers simply asked the driver or passenger if they live in Aspen and are without heat. Some were turned away if they were not Aspen residents.
Most people thanked them, and a few tried to get more than one or drove through the line again for a second attempt.
Others walked up to get a heater, like Diana Short, who lives a few blocks away.
“I’m very appreciative of what the city does,” she said, noting that she would most likely place the heater in her child’s room.
The heaters are prioritized for individuals in need, not for businesses or hotels.
Forty were set aside for the vulnerable population.
Those with special needs can call (970) 379-1490 and request one for delivery.
Big box stores in Downvalley such as Wal-Mart and Lowes were reportedly out of space heaters on Monday night.
This is an evolving story that will be updated.