On Saturday December 3, the Lefthand Fire Protection District (LHFPD) held its long-awaited Station 1 grand opening. According to a press release, “the opening of Lefthand Fire Station 1 is the result of a nearly six-year process involving a cooperative effort between the membership, the LHFPD Board of Directors, the Chiefs and officers of the fire district, and members of the surrounding community. The previous fire station was more than 50 years old and critically deficient in supporting response to worsening fire seasons. The new fire station cost approximately 3.4 million which was funded by a combination of savings, DOLA mineral impact grants, lease purchases and donations from generous contributors.”

Lefthand Fire Protection District Chief Chris O’Brien opened the ceremony by thanking the many contributors in seeing to the completion of the project. “This is an amazing project that’s taken a long time, and a lot of effort, and we’ve had a ton of support, and we’re very fortunate to have them here,” he said in his opening statement before nearly three hundred attendees, “so today’s about saying thank you.”

He continued, “Firefighting is a team sport, and that’s very evident in a lot of the things we do as an agency,” he said, “we go without question, when people need us, without judgment, and we take care of people on their worst days.”

Those in attendance were overwhelmingly members of that team. The team is made up of active emergency responders from the LHFPD and from other local fire districts, local community members, members of the design and construction crews, many members of the Board of directors, various officials from government agencies, as well as a dedication by Marty Chase Alone, representative of the Lakota Sioux nation.

Austin Blood, the president of the Board of Directors of LHFPD, has played a huge role in overseeing the project to its completion. Blood has been the board president since 2011 and has been a member of the board since 2009. He will be stepping down at the end of this term. “It’s been a very interesting and personally gratifying experience,” he said,” this is a group of good men and women… I know this community can count on Lefthand Fire.”

Blood emphasized the community aspect of the building, as well as the modern functionality that the building would provide. As one who had lost his home in the Cal-Wood Fire, he has a deeper understanding of the necessity of the building, and although he said that it had been a lengthy process, he acknowledged that it had been worth all the time and effort.

Phillip Mihlstin is the Station 1 lieutenant for Lefthand Fire. He has been part of the department for five years and before that had been a firefighter on Long Island, New York, for five years. When comparing his service in Long Island to his service at Lefthand he pointed out the differences that responders encountered. “It is a completely different perspective,” he said, “we have to be a lot more versatile in how we’re responding and where we’re responding. Also, how you think, how you act and how you prepare.”

He echoed the thoughts and attitudes of so many of the firefighters and EMT’s that respond from this new station, summing up the advantages that would be created by having this new facility. “It’s really a great place for the team and the family to come together. And when I say family I mean the firefighters of this organization,” he said, “we didn’t really have too much to call home, prior, and this station really brings a place to for us to come together, enjoy each other’s presence, hang out and relax, and also get the job done when it comes time.”

By that he means that the new building, with its dorms for sleeping quarters, and classrooms for advance trainings, and kitchen facilities to feed responders after long and arduous responses. No longer do responders need to carry their gear with them in case of a sudden call. The new station provides an area for the responders to “gear up” which allows for much faster response times and better maintenance of critical safety equipment. This new facility can adequately meet the needs of the membership, who volunteer their time, and their skills, and put their lives on the line to protect their communities from the countless incidents that they are called to.

John Miller, a member of the Board of Directors, had been a firefighter and engine boss at Lefthand over twenty years ago. As a board member he was recognized as one who worked tirelessly to help bring the project to fruition. He knows what it was like to attempt to respond to emergencies from the previous building, and what a difference the new building will make. “It’s a home that these firefighters never had,” he said, “It’s a facility that they deserve, and that will serve the entire district… It’s really cool.”

Another benefit was highlighted by Douglas “The Admiral” Schnurrenberger, who oversees keeping the fleet running. A critical job, which he does along with his firefighter duties. He explained that the new space would allow for work to be done on the engines indoors whereas the maintenance had previously been completed outdoors, which heavily affected mission readiness.

Schnurrenberger is also an engine operator and is thrilled about the new apparatus bays. “Coming back at 3 a.m., driving by myself, having to pull the driver’s side mirror in by myself, and getting out of the cab to fold the passenger side mirror in…backing into the station blind.” This isn’t the case with this new facility, having almost six feet of clearance on both sides will create much safer operations for both the drivers and the equipment.

Chief O’Brien expressed his gratitude and appreciation, as he spoke about the completion of the station. “It exceeded my expectations. It’s just so wonderful to have everybody be here under one roof and enjoy one another’s company, and to be able to welcome our community as a whole and give them space that they can be comfortable and safe.”

He went on to explain how the station would be instrumental in supporting the rapid responses of his team. “Every time we have an opportunity to get together and train, and run calls, we get better. Even days like this, it’s that opportunity to make real connections with the community, and so every time we do that we get better.”

The new fire station is located at 900 Lefthand Canyon Drive, Boulder, Colroado 80302. To find out more about the Lefthand Fire District, check out the website at https://www.lefthandfire.org/