Boulder Mountain Fire Protection District and Taylor Kohrs recently completed the new fire station in Boulder Heights. This new station, serving homeowners who live with the ever-present concerns over when or where the next blaze might ignite, will replace the district’s previous station, which was built in 1965. The process to replace this station has been in the works since 2018, as the aging Station 2 could no longer effectively support the equipment or personnel needed for the area. The Fire Protection District provides service to mountain communities all along the Flatirons and is a last line of defense if a fire gets close to the city of Boulder. Ensuring that the BMFPD can fulfill those responsibilities is key for the new facility. The local community banded together and donated 32% of the budget to construct this new fire station.
Construction consisted of deconstructing the existing Fire Barn No.2 in two phases and building a new, 8,613 sq ft two-story fire station utilizing structural steel and exterior metal panels and metal roof. The deconstruction was done in two phases to allow a fire truck to remain at the station to maintain response times. The interior includes two offices, conference room, day room, dining room, and kitchen. Additionally, a fitness room and six vehicle apparatus bays with auxiliary spaces are included. To serve the team and the community, the new station includes a training room, community support area, and is large enough to operate as a command center during a crisis. Associated site work included excavation of the existing site for below-grade improvements, domestic water, fire line, sanitary, and the construction of the concrete drive and parking lot. Due to the nature of the site rock blasting was necessary. With the close proximity to the drinking water wells of nearby neighbors, the rock blasting charges were carefully engineered to avoid damaging the existing drinking water wells. The two-story structure with back-in bays on the lower level required 15 ft high sloping foundation walls due to the extreme slope of the project site. A 12,000 gallon cistern was installed to provide water for the fire suppression system and drinking water.
