The station replaces a nearly 70-year-old station on Old Washington Road that the community has long outgrown, said Julianna Casey, president of the Elkridge Volunteer Fire Department.

A county study recommended a new site for the Elkridge fire station more than a decade ago. The state also awarded a $500,000 grant to complete the facility.

The county has also asked the volunteer fire department to raise $2.4 million to help finance the project, said Casey.

Evergreen Fire Chief Craig Williams said the truck and fire personnel were responding to another crash between a Honda Element and Subaru in which no one was injured but there was substantial damage. "While we were setting up traffic control and protecting the scene, our engine was struck," he said. Williams was glad the damage to the truck seemed to be contained to the back bumper. He said it was lucky that no fire personnel were working out of the back of the truck at the time of the crash. No one was hurt in the second crash. The fire truck is temporarily out of service.

Williams wanted to take the opportunity to remind people that while it is tempting to pay attention to the ruckus caused by accidents, it is more important to pay attention to cones, slow down and watch out for emergency personnel at the scene of a crash.

"It is pretty much a classic example of people not paying attention," Williams said. "Be observant of accident scenes."

Timnath, PFA and the Poudre Valley Fire Protection District have an agreement to split the costs of the new station.

Station No. 8 is being built by Brinkman Construction Inc. at 4800 Signal Tree Drive, near the southeast corner of Harmony Road and Larimer County Road 5. Until construction is complete, PFA is temporarily staffing a modular trailer behind Timnath's old fire station at 4101 Main St.

By being in Timnath, PFA is expected to more than halve response times to calls in the area.

The fire engine and crew from the Oakwood Road station, Station 3, have been relocated to the training center on Lee Street. The move is 2 miles away from the Oakwood Road station.

Hodges said he does not expect a delay in response. He said the crew from Station 3 will continue to cover the same area, with some changes in routes to ensure response times.

"Again, we're less than 2 miles away," Hodges said. "It may not be an engine from here; South Charleston may get there before us, but we will be there not soon after them."

But some neighbors said they will miss the security of having a fire station right down the road.

"It's just comforting to know that they're there, and it's going to be disappointing to know that they're that much further away," Desiree Reed said.

Charleston City Manager David Molgaard said the city has set aside money to rebuild the fire station. He said the city will either demolish the current Oakwood Road station and rebuild or select another location nearby.