DOORS OPEN ON NEW 3-BAY FIRE STATION AT HILL AIR FORCE BASE

Click here for video and coverage of the event by KSL: http://bit.ly/iU3vEJ

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah - May 18, 2011 - A ribbon cutting ceremony for the installation's newest fire station was held at 10:30 a.m. yesterday (May 17).

Utah Rep. Rob Bishop attended the event along with base officials and on- and off-base emergency responders.

"This is the first fire station built on base since 1943," said Patrick Vega, Hill AFB's assistant fire chief. "The new three-bay fire station will be designated Fire Station 4 and provide necessary fire and emergency services to the east side of the installation."

Congressional funding for the project was approved in 2009 and, according to base officials, safety and quality of life were a top priority when building it.

"Sleeping quarters, physical fitness and kitchen areas will provide top-notch amenities to fire and emergency crews by providing some comforts of home," Vega said.

Additionally, apparatus bays were designed to allow sufficient clearance around fire apparatus enhancing firefighter safety and providing easy access to equipment compartments, he said. The personal protective equipment room and decontamination rooms also allow emergency responders quick and easy access to these areas without contamination of the common living areas.

The fire station will be the base's first LEED Gold Certified Building and includes energy and water saving features, natural lighting, solar panels and motion lights.

"LEED certification offers a third-party validation of a project's green features and verifies the building is operating exactly the way it was designed," Vega said.

"With the beautiful back drop of the Wasatch front, the 75th Civil Engineering Group's Fire Department Flight personnel will enjoy a facility that will be the model of future energy sustainable facilities to come," Vega said.

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