A fire station north of Jackson, Wyoming, is one step closer to being built after the Teton County Board of County Commissioners approved a nonbinding agreement with Friends of Gros Ventre Fire Station (FGVFS) on Tuesday. The agreement serves to establish the terms and conditions by which FGVFS will donate funds for the construction of Fire Station 8.

Details of the Agreement

The FGVFS, a nonprofit organization, has committed to raising and donating $8 million for the planning, design, permitting, and construction of the fire station. The station is set to be built at 947 Sandcherry Way, a parcel just off North Spring Gulch Road that is currently owned by Teton County.

FGVFS was formed to spearhead the private-public effort and accelerate the building and operation of a fire station north of town. The organization’s directors, Rocky Barber, Jim Ramo, and Joe Wenger, have been working with the county to get the project off the ground. According to Ramo, the agreement is a significant step forward, and the organization is excited to move forward with raising the necessary funds.

Construction and Staffing Plans

The potential timeline states that construction could begin as early as 2027, with operations beginning in 2029. The station will initially be staffed by volunteers, but permanent staffing by full-time employees is the primary objective. Jackson Hole Fire/EMS, along with Teton County, will determine when and how to implement full-time staffing at the station.

Fire Chief Mike Moyer noted that the expected operational costs for a volunteer station would be around $104,800 annually, including costs for stipends, uniforms, insurance, and physical fitness tests and checkups for 10 volunteers. The cost to run the station with full-time staff could be upwards of $1.1 million per year.

Original reporting: Buckrail (Jackson WY) — read the source article.