Edwards Fire Station

 

Edwards Station:

 

Growth in Edwards and the surrounding areas is testing the ability of the Edwards station to effectively respond to the Edwards community even as it exists today. Any future growth will strain the entire system upon which the District relies, making it more difficult to continue to provide rapid and effective response to structure fires, wildland fires, medical calls and other emergencies.

 

The Edwards Fire Station is located on Highway 6, just west of Edwards Village Boulevard and next to the campus which houses Eagle County Paramedic Services. The location provides easy access to the Edwards Core and I-70. The current building was built in 1985 as a temporary structure, primarily intended to provide fire protection to Homestead, Berry Creek and Arrowhead, all of which were still being developed. It predated the development of most of the Edwards commercial center, including the Riverwalk.

 

The building is not structurally sound, and significant capital improvements would be required just to maintain a facility that has long outlasted its intended lifespan. An expanded station will also allow the District to house reserve and highly specialized equipment centrally.

 

Location

 

The Fire District spent a considerable amount of time conducting due diligence and evaluating the current location as well as other available options. Ultimately, studies determined that the existing location provides a quick and effective response to:

• I-70 for vehicular emergencies
• Homestead and Lake Creek neighborhoods
• Edwards core and business districts
• Singletree/Berry Creek neighborhoods
• Red Sky Ranch and Bellyache Ridge neighborhoods
• Future development west of the Edwards core, including Wolcott
• Meets Long Term Facility Needs

 The existing fire station is 3,650 square feet; it contains two small bays and houses four firefighters. The size of the station severely limits the type and number of apparatus which can be housed on-site. The building has outlasted its useful life and cannot be repurposed as a larger station as it is not structurally sound enough to support renovations, let alone additions such as additional bays and crew quarters.

 

A larger, more modern facility is required in order to effectively respond to the current and future safety needs of the entire District. The new design would replace the current aged building in the same location, and includes four appropriately-sized bays capable of accommodating modern firefighting apparatus as well as specialized equipment needed for operational response such as hazardous materials and ice rescue.

 

The new station is being designed as a 50+ year facility capable of serving the needs of the area’s projected growth. While timing of that growth is unclear, the District’s intent is to ensure it can continue to provide the professional service levels its communities have come to expect. As the Edwards area continues to grow, the building will accommodate the needs of a dual company station, which includes eight firefighters, capable of responding with two apparatus or to simultaneous calls.