Local government and fire officials gathered to break ground on a new Heber City fire station Monday afternoon.
A big American flag waved from the raised ladder of a fire truck. Standing beside a row of shovels, Fire Chief Eric Hales thanked first responders for their honor and dedication. He said the new station will help make Heber City and nearby communities safer.
Known as Wasatch Fire District Station 51, it will serve Heber City, Midway, and other towns around the county. It’s scheduled to be complete in early 2025.
Hales said this station will help move the region away from its former volunteer firefighting model to be compliant with a 2021 Utah law requiring cities and counties to provide a minimum level of 911 ambulance service.
“This facility will actually allow us to house eight firefighter paramedics and EMTs, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” he said. “So this is going to be a huge benefit to the community.”
Centrally located at the intersection of 200 East and 1200 South, it will enable response teams to quickly access both Highway 40 and Highway 189.
“The location is actually optimal for us,” Hales said.
Former fire chief Ernie Giles said the fire district’s needs have dramatically changed in recent years as Wasatch County has grown, so the infrastructure needs to adapt too.
“When I was put on the fire department, there was 16 volunteers that ran this whole valley,” he said.
Now, there are several dozen full-time first responders.
The new fire station will be built by Big-D Signature group. The building has over 25,000 square feet, more than tripling the size of the former Heber City station. It will house the Wasatch Fire District’s administrative offices and a community room, where classes for first responders and community members can be held.
“This new station is a blessing. We needed it five, 10 years ago,” Giles said. “It’s just happy to see it happening today.”
