On Friday, community members, local representatives and members of the Boulder-Fire Rescue department gathered at 2967 Bluff Street for the grand opening of the new Boulder Fire-Rescue Station 3.

The ceremony included speeches before community members were able to check out the new fully electric fire truck. A tour around the more than 28,000-square-foot station was also available.

‘It’s not just planning for the demands today’

Boulder Fire Chief Michael Calderazzo started off by thanking citizens, taxpayers and voters who collectively approved the Community Culture and Resilience Safety tax in 2014 — a .3% dedicated sales and use tax that has been used for city wide infrastructure projects as well as for some of Boulder’s nonprofit partners, according to Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett.

Calderazzo said Station 3 was chosen for a rebuild as the former station was located in the floodplains. Brockett later joked that with the water rescue crew housed there, crews would have to rescue themselves first in an event of a flood.

“But it’s not just about moving in or out of floodplains, it’s about how well we’re able to serve the region,” Calderazzo said. “ … It’s not just planning for the demands today but what it will look like in 50, 60, even 70 years into the future. It’s not an easy feat.”

Calderazzo said sustainability and the safety of the crews were prioritized in the planning and building of the station. Along with having an electric vehicle that won’t emit pollutants into the air, the building is equipped with motion activated lights and a green roof to help insolate the building.

The station also has features that prioritize the crews’ health such as: queen-sized beds that allow for more restful sleep; red lights in the bay to help sleep deprivation; individualized radios that only alert crews at night if they are needed for that specific call; and a slide down to the bay rather than a firepole — which has an increased risk of injury.

The administrative area on the first floor of the station includes two conference rooms, cubicles for each staff member, a full kitchen, mail room and wellness room which all sit across from a large training room and full gym space.

On the second floor are the living quarters for fire crews, American Medical Response crews and the battalion chief. The living quarters have a bathroom for every two crew members, 12 bedrooms, storage space for all crews who operate out of the station, a full kitchen, dining table, 12 recliner chairs and a TV.

The bay, which has large bifold doors which can open in seconds, houses the new RTX electric fire engine; a regular fire engine; an AMR ambulance; the dive team rescue van, a boat, the boat’s trailer and the battalion chief car.

‘A facility worthy of their qualities’

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment gave Boulder a grant of just over $1 million toward two new electric trucks, one of which will be housed at Station 3 and another at Station 1.

Director of the Air Pollution Control Division at the CDPHE Michael Ogletree spoke to the impact an electrical vehicle will have on firefighters.

“We know how deeply your residents and leaders really care about addressing climate change and building a better, healthier and more prosperous future for this community,” Ogletree said. “This electric fire truck and its brother, which I know is on its way to another one of your stations, is a symbol of that commitment. It’s proof Colorado communities can provide vital public services to their residents while still making real progress on their climate goals.”

Boulder Assistant City Manager Pam Davis said the new station uses 89 pieces of existing steel from the former Boulder Community Hospital facility with embodied carbon savings of about 25,000 kilograms of carbondioxide equivalent. In the construction, more than 90% of materials used were diverted from the landfill, according to Davis.

The building is also made with photovoltaic systems which convert light into 289,000 kilowatt hours of energy and does not require natural gas, Davis said. Brockett said the facility exceeds the city’s goals in sustainability, equity and resilience.

“Look at these timbers and this beautiful building. This truly is a unique, high-quality, modern facility protecting our firefighters’ safety so that our extraordinary firefighters have a facility worthy of their qualities,” Brockett said.

During the ceremony, Calderazzo also took a moment to recognize firefighter William Duran and Scott Smith who lost their lives on Jan. 26, 1982. A memorial stands outside the station for them as well as an art installation made by Michael Clapper to honor their lives, Calderazzo said.

Following the speeches, numerous members of city council and the department uncoupled parts of a fire hose in their version of ribbon cutting. Then Calderazzo welcomed the attendees to do the historical push of the new electric truck into the bay.

‘A tighter bond on scene’

Division Chief of Logistics at Boulder Fire-Rescue Dan Dillon said the department looked at all the emerging trends in the fire industry and tried to incorporate them into the building structure. He added Boulder Fire-Rescue met with other department staff out of Los Angeles and Las Vegas who have their own electric firetrucks to better understand the benefits they provide.

“We focused heavily on not only the professional standards that are out there but the emerging trends so as we build new facilities, we have the ability to incorporate those things and make our people safer,” Dillon said.

Dillon said a key part in keeping the firefighters safe is ensuring there was as much separation between the firefighters and carcinogens they interact with on scene as possible. Following a fire, the crew will enter a room off of the bay where their gear placed in a large, National Fire Protection Association approved washing machine that works to clean the suits from pollutants. Then the suits are hung on metal pipes shaped like stick figures before air is blown through the tubes of the figures to dry the suits, according to Boulder Fire-Rescue spokeswoman Jamie Barker.

“For the department it’s a great transition from where we used to be to where we are today,” Dillon said. “We’ve learned so much in the last 10 years about cancer prevention and making sure our spaces are clean. From when the folks come into the station to when they go home to live, we want to make sure that there are separations there to help prevent any cross contamination.”

Lieutenant Joe Gross is a firefighter who has been at Station 3 for 12 years and moved into the new building the week before Thanksgiving. Along with two other firefighters and a battalion chief, the new facility also houses AMR paramedics on call which Gross said has helped them grow a tighter bond on scene.

“Having another organization in our station has been a new experience for us. It’s helped us create a tighter bond on scene because we work with them day in and day out. Before we would just show up to a scene and literally interact with them for 10,15, 20 minutes and then we’d both go our own ways.”

Gross said now they’re able to talk through the call and be there for each other to provide mental and emotional support after a difficult call.

The station is set to become a two-company station, meaning two fire crews will work from it.

Gross also emphasized how based on other locations of fire stations and the growing residential areas in north Boulder they’re able to respond faster to more of the community now being further north.

The station also has a large training room that will be used for community workshops such as CPR training and field trips. Dillon said having kids stop by allows them to educate the students on the fire service and inspire kids to maybe join the service when they’re older.

“Sometimes the only time the community sees us is when they’re having the worst day of their life,” Dillon said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to have them come at a time that it’s not traumatic for them, which I think is hugely important.”