GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) - From adults, to Appleton Elementary students, Thursday was a special day with a scoop of dirt and with some music.
Mayor Abe Herman, states, “Today, we're proud to break ground on what will soon be Fire Station Seven, which is a crucial addition to our network of emergency services and the embodiment of our community's commitment to safety and resilience.”
The City of Grand Junction will construct the new firehouse, 2311 H Road, in an area that can benefit from quicker service.
Ken Watkins, Fire Department Chief, states, "This area out here, we have long response times out to this area from our current stations. So, we looked at, where's the next closest station? Where can we put a station? And find land that is available to put the station that will improve that response time, put the station in an area where we expect future growth and increased call volume because of that growth.”
Watkins tells WesternSlopeNow the idea for this firehouse was formed back in 2007 and a solid plan finally started coming together in 2019. When the community voted for a first responder tax to help fund three additional fire stations, this will be the last one built from that money, but the building will hold another distinction.
Ellis Thompson, Grand Junction Fire Department community outreach specialist, states, “This fire station, we're planning for it to be our wildland fire headquarters. That means we're going to move one of our brush engines over here, almost every station has a specialty.”
The new firehouse will be the third station with the same design. It'll be over 10 thousand square feet, with three bays for the fire apparatus along with seven sleep rooms for the firefighters.
For Watkins, this will be the last groundbreaking ceremony as he's looking to retire by the end of this year.
Thompson states, “For Chief Watkins and for all of us supporting him and working underneath his leadership. It's an exciting day because this is something he's been working for since he joined the Grand Junction Fire Department and it's just been an honor to work under him and his vision and see it come to fruition.”