Henderson officials break ground on city’s first new fire station in 15 years
Henderson city officials broke ground Tuesday afternoon on Fire Station 91, which is the first new station the city has built in 15 years.
The city’s 10th fire station — a 10,998-square-foot building that will include three apparatus bays, training facilities, equipment and supply storage and accommodations for firefighters staffing the station — is in Inspirada, a newer master-planned community on the city’s western side that was approved for 8,500 homes and has been recognized as one of the nation’s fastest-developing areas.
“Station 91 is strategically located in one of the fastest-growing sections of the city,” Henderson Fire Chief Matthew Morris said in a statement. “It is perfectly situated to help keep response times down and increase the level of services and protection that we provide to area residents and businesses.”
Fire Station 91 is scheduled to open next fall and will serve the Inspirada and Madeira Canyon areas. The response time goal to the surrounding areas is six minutes, Morris said.
Mayor Andy Hafen, Councilwoman Debra March, City Manager Robert Murnane, Pardee Homes Community Development Director Jim Rizzi and Morris were present to turn a shovel of dirt and mark the start of construction on the new facility.
“We’re thrilled to bring this much-needed service to one of the fastest-growing areas of the city,” said March, who oversees Ward 2, which includes Inspirada. “It’s going to help us stay one of the safest cities in the nation.”
In 2015, the department responded to 28,671 requests for service, a 9.3 percent increase from a year earlier and a 21.8 percent increase over five years, city spokeswoman Kathleen Richards said.
Once Fire Station 91 opens, Richards said, the city will have enough funding for a fire engine and its crew: a captain, an engineer, one firefighter and one firefighter/paramedic. A rescue or advanced life support ambulance with a firefighter/paramedic and firefighter as its crew will be added when community growth deems it necessary.
As the community grows, the city plans to expand the station’s crew, Richards said. The station will start with seven dorm rooms and space to add four more.
Richards added that the city is recruiting new firefighters.
Construction costs are estimated at about $5.9 million.
Inspirada donated the 3.42-acre site for the station and provided $6.6 million toward construction and equipment.
Contact Sandy Lopez at slopez@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4686. Follow @JournalismSandy on Twitter.
