Boulder Mountain Fire Protection District broke ground Saturday on a $3.6 million project to replace the nearly 60-year-old Station 2 and improve the department’s wildfire and emergency response.

More than a dozen officials gathered at the site of the new Station 2 at 50 Overlook Lane to formally break ground on the project.

Construction on the new site is anticipated to begin this fall, and upon its completion will include:

• Six large engine bays
• Fire engine access directly to Deer Trail Road
• Two offices and a training room that can be used an incident command centers during emergencies
• Showers and gear washing stations
• Energy efficient and fire resistant features 

The district is the first line of defense if a foothills emergency were to threaten a city such as in previous years with the Fourmile Fire in 2010 and Cal-Wood in 2020, said Boulder Mountain Fire Protection District Chief John Benson. 

“Our new station will help Boulder Mountain Fire be better equipped to respond not only to these kinds of woodland fires before they reach the city, but also to local structure fires, medical calls, accidents on the roads and lost or injured hikers on Sanitas, which is also in our district,” Benson said. 

The department is responsible for all emergency calls across a 12-mile district and serves more than 1,000 people. Since 2010, as the population has increased, service calls have increased by 66%, officials said. 

The project was funded through four sources including a $1.8 million low-interest loan, $1.25 million capital campaign, a $500,000 grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and $500,000 from capital reserves, officials said. 

For more information about the new station, click here.