BAYFIELD ‒ Upper Pine River Fire Protection District broke ground this week on a dual fire station and urgent care clinic, moving closer to expanded emergency services and health care access in and around Bayfield.
On Monday, some 40 people gathered at the site of the planned building to commemorate the groundbreaking. Chief Bruce Evans opened the event with a speech thanking those who had made the station possible, which was followed by a land blessing and performance by drummers from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.
In attendance were community members, first responders, district board members, U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, Bayfield Mayor Tom Au and Town Manager John Waters. Additionally, Eric Becker of Oz Architecture, the station’s designer, and employees of Buildings By Design, the company that will build the new station, attended the event.
The station, which will be built next to the department’s existing administration building, would not have been possible without the support of district voters – who repeatedly approved sales and property taxes to help support the department – as well as $1 million in federal funds secured with the help of Hurd.
“The public voted for this two years ago,” Evans said. “The public really wants to see this. This is a heavy lift for a small community like this, but we’re one step closer.”
Evans said the new station is nearly a decade in the making. It will expand access to health care for residents in the district, increase emergency response resources for the department and create a community gathering space.
The new station will be able to serve as a place for vaccine drives or an emergency shelter for wildfire evacuees. It will also house first responders and more apparatus, giving the district more resources to respond to fires or medical situations.
“The space is designed to morph into what you need to do,” Evans said.
That is one of the reasons why Hurd advocated for acquiring federal funding for the station, the congressman said.
“I have only a limited number of projects that I can prioritize when it comes to congressionally directed spending,” Hurd said. “I look for the best, highest value, highest return on investment projects for federal taxpayers, and this was one right here. I’m proud to support this facility here for the fire district.”
Hurd said the station is a testament to the patience, dedication and partnership between the community and the department – all factors that made him want to throw his weight behind the project. The station is an example of a community coming together to build tangible improvements, which in turn creates jobs and makes the community stronger.
“This is a perfect example. If we're talking about roads, bridges, structures, building things, I'm interested and I want to support the best of those projects,” Hurd said. “If there’s a compelling case to be made, I’m behind it 100% and I do everything I can to deliver those federal dollars to these worthwhile projects.”
That cooperation is an example of what makes the United States a “shining city on a hill,” Hurd said – a characterization popularized by Ronald Reagan defined by prosperity and collaboration.
Construction on the station is set to begin in May, Evans said, with a ribbon-cutting expected sometime around April 1, 2027.
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
