After four years of planning and construction, Montana City's newest fire station is now operational. There are still movers and boxes scattered around Fire Station 1. But inside, the volunteer fire department is ready to respond. "We wanted to get the station out of the back corners of the district and into the main limelight," said Chief Rick Abraham.
The department started moving equipment into the newly completed station earlier this month. The $1 million facility was built off Highway 282, in Montana City's commercial center.
The department previously had one station on Saddle Mountain, and a small satellite station on the west end of town. Abraham says they barely had enough room for the department's trucks.
"In the case of the ladder, when it backed in, you couldn't walk around it in any way - you had to open the door to go out around the truck," he said. "There were less than three inches of clearance in the whole building for the truck."
The new station includes a meeting room, sleeping quarters, and space for training equipment. Even the gear locker is a big step up for the fire department.
"The guys kept their gear in bags, and when they'd show up at the station, they'd just stand on the floor next to the truck and put their gear on," Abraham said. "We've never had anything like this."
The department will also have more space for offices. Eventually, Abraham says the building could host local offices for the Jefferson County sheriff, commission and county attorney.