The finish line is in sight for Summit Fire & EMS as it works on wrapping up years’ worth of work for a new Silverthorne fire station, which officials say is mere months away from being operational. 

Public information officer Steve Lipsher said the agency will be unveiling the station officially with a grand opening on June 4, but the station could be serving Silverthorne residents even sooner.

“We are not going to wait until that June 4 day to begin operating out of that station,” he said. “There’s no use in having a station that’s ready to go that we’re not using — just (sitting there).”

Now equipped with signage designating it as Summit Fire & EMS Station 10, the next steps before a grand opening include final inspections and furnishing the space. 

Lipsher said the station will house an ambulance, a fire engine and a brand new wildfire engine. He said the wildfire engine, known as a type six engine, is a four-wheel pickup truck with a water tank that can navigate U.S. Forest Service roads to swiftly respond to a wildfire. He said nearly all Summit Fire firefighters have what’s known as a “red card,” or an Interagency Incident Qualification Card, certifying them for wildland fire operations. Additionally, there is a wildland division for Summit Fire & EMS out of Summit Cove that can be dispatched to help at any time. 

“We did have members of the public express some concern (around if) we are going to have enough firefighters out there to respond to a wildfire, and the answer is: absolutely, we will,” he said. 

Liphser said Summit Fire & EMS can pull crew members from its other stations in Frisco, Dillon and Keystone for any major event that needs it. He said there’s also memorandums of understanding in place with surrounding fire districts like those in Vail or Park County where they will help each other out in emergency situations at no cost. 

He said, for some Silverthorne residents, having a station with a fire engine near their home could positively affect their insurance rates. He said an independent organization called the Insurance Services Office does evaluations based on how many hydrants, engines and other response mechanisms to fire are in an area and creates a scale from 1 to 10 based on what the organization calls its “Public Protections Classifications.” This is used by some — but Lipsher said not all — insurance companies to determine property insurance premiums. 

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“Some people further north in Silverthorne may see potential reductions in their insurance premiums because we have a presence there now,” he said. 

The station will respond to events in Silverthorne and north of the town all the way to the Grand County line, including U.S. Forest Service lands. He said there’s a northern part of the county that, as a whole, isn’t technically in the district, but certain households have opted into the district. 

Summit Fire & EMS has brought on a number of staff over the past year, Lipsher said, with the intent to have adequate firefighters across the organization to staff Station 10. He said new hires will be placed on crews with veterans, and the intent is to have the staff, at-large, become versatile enough to be plugged in at any station. Currently they are looking to hire more paramedics and EMTs.

Concerns from Silverthorne residents drove the effort to get Silverthorne its own station after not having one for several years. Residents shared worries about not having a station north of Interstate 70 since congestion near the interstate could cause response times to lengthen and become a public safety issue.

“This was designed to be a fire station that will serve the community for 30 years and beyond,” Lipsher said, noting it will be the most modern fire station Summit Fire & EMS operates.

The project broke ground spring 2024 and is estimated to cost between $9 to $9.5 million.

The Silverthorne station will be located at 26300 Blue River Parkway. The June 4 grand opening will start at 1:30 p.m.

For more information, visit SummitFire.org/silverthorne-fire-station-updates.