After more than ten years of planning, Big Sky’s long-awaited Fire Station Three is officially underway.
“It’s a huge benefit for both of us and, more importantly, the community members up here in Big Sky,” said Jeff Bolton, Division Chief of Operations for the Big Sky Fire Department.
The wait is over! Watch our coverage of the new fire station's groundbreaking and see how it will enhance emergency response in Big Sky
Bolton, who took part in Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony, showed MTN News the golden Halligan pickaxe he used to mark the occasion.
With fire danger, referred to as ISO rating, being extremely high in the area, Bolton says this new station could be a game-changer.
“It will help tremendously as far as ISO goes and being able to get insurance up here, which is a big problem for us in this area,” Bolton said.
But beyond ratings and risk mitigation, Bolton says it’s about saving lives.
“When somebody calls 911, it's the worst day of their life. For us to be a calming voice and be able to take care of that situation with a much faster response time—that’s the most important part of all of this,” Bolton said.
According to Bolton, this is a first-of-its-kind station for the state of Montana, not only in design but in how it’s funded. The $19 million facility will be paid for by residents of the Spanish Peaks community through a Rural Improvement District.
“So essentially, the taxpayers of this particular community—the Spanish Peaks community—are funding this fire station through a Rural Improvement District,” Bolton explained. “So it’s not every person in Big Sky that isn’t going to use this resource paying for it, per se.”
“Just really happy to be able to celebrate on a beautiful day this groundbreaking with the Big Sky Fire Department,” said Matt Kidd, President of Lone Mountain Land Company.
Kidd says this station represents a shift in how communities like Big Sky think about safety and visibility.
“In the old days, you talked about building a fire station that was sort of back-of-house infrastructure—like nobody needed to see it,” Kidd said. “This is going to be a beautiful facility right at the entrance, to be celebrated, essentially as a new amenity for the community.”
For Kidd, the station is just one piece of a bigger vision.
“I’d love it if more of our fire department members could live here in Big Sky full-time,” he said. “And the more folks we have as a year-round thriving community here—that's the goal.”
