The Granby Fire Department in Grand County has built the most expensive volunteer fire station in Colorado, according to a statewide survey of fire stations conducted by 9News.
The Granby station boasts 24,000 square feet, nine bays, $3,000 flat-screen televisions and a kitchen designed to look like a 1950s diner. In all, the station and furnishings cost $4 million when it opened in September 2006, making it more expensive than most stations manned by full-time firefighters.
Grand Fire District voters approved the new headquarters station, a training tower, resident quarters, a satellite station and the purchase of firefighting equipment in a bond issue in May 2004. In fliers that went to voters about the bond issue, Grand Fire District officials called it a “prudent, no-frills package.”
“Our taxpayers wouldn’t go for that,” said Fire Chief Arturo Morales of Castle Rock, where firefighters have a $2.2-million station. “I think the community expects us to be responsible with our dollars.”
Audio/video alone: $46,400 Granby Fire Chief Dave Boyes and his wife, Cindy, decorated the station with details that they call “pops.” Those include a $1,000 decorative fire pole, marble-lined walls and retro office furniture — plus audio/video and stereo equipment with outdoor speakers that cost $46,400. Another perk: a new pool table with a custom-made rack and cues for $4,500.
The chief maintains the district spent the money wisely.
“I can only tell you that this project was under-budgeted and that we have done everything we have told taxpayers we would do,” Boyes said. “I feel that we were actually conservative and I think it’s remarkable that we were able to complete a project like this and have it look so attractive and have the detail this does for the amount of money we spent.”
He says they would have spent whatever amount taxpayers approved. “If the voters would have given us $2 million, we would have spent $2 million,” Boyes said.
A mixed reaction in town
An independent group questioned that rationale when shown the cost by 9News.
“This just does not look ‘prudent’ and ‘no frills,’ ” said Chantell Taylor, director of Colorado Ethics Watch, a nonprofit, legal watchdog agency of public spending. “Just having the money there doesn’t give you a blank check to spend it in the most extravagant way possible.”
When compared with all new fire stations statewide, both volunteer and full-time departments, Granby tied for second most expensive in the state with Denver’s Fire Station 2 at 52nd and Memphis streets, according to the 9News survey. Both of the stations cost $4 million.
The most expensive fire station in Colorado (both volunteer and full-time departments) is Denver’s station 26, which cost $5 million with furnishings, according to the survey.
Reaction around Granby is mixed. Jeanette Love at Mountain Bakery thinks the station is a great new addition to Grand County.
“Let’s take care of our firemen,” said Love. “They’re going to take care of all of us in the county when it goes up in a blaze — and it will go up in a blaze.”
But others told 9News they thought the building is “opulent.”
“It’s a little elaborate,” said Josh Mullinex of Grand Lake. “They could have spent the money preparing for the forest fire that’s going to happen soon.”
