Grand County EMS to get a new station in Granby

Grand County Government/Courtesy rendering
The Grand County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, Jan. 7, discussed designs for a new Grand County EMS station.
The current building in downtown Granby serves as the headquarters for countywide emergency medical services and is slated to be replaced. The building is outdated and deteriorating, according to EMS staff, who said its apparatus bay is shifting and rusting, causing exposure to outside elements.
At the meeting, county project manager Jeff Hickam presented images of the future station, which will be located along Granby’s 10 Mile Drive next to Middle Park Health.
Hickam said staff members are in the “design development stage” for the 6.2-acre property and will dive into construction documents after Jan. 24.
The reimagined station will include an outdoor training area, classroom, and staff quarters with a kitchen and break room. Hickam added that a private trail will wind around the station and will be used for training purposes.
Grand County EMS Chief Austin Wingate said the goal is to start building as soon as weather permits in the spring and that staff is in talks with the architect and project manager.
“The station’s design is nearing finalization, and the team at EMS is very excited to keep moving forward on this much-needed project,” Wingate said.

Wingate said he is especially excited about the project because it presents the opportunity to build “a space that is a lot more than just an EMS station.”
For example, the new building will be a shelter and logistics center during emergencies, and a public meeting space for everyday needs — something the Colorado Department of Local Affairs calls a resilience hub, meaning it offers educational spaces, services and community capacity. The current EMS station also serves as a substation for the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, and the new station intends to include that space, as well.
“Through intentional design, we’re able to be more adaptable in the event of a large-scale disaster like what we went through with the East Troublesome Fire,” Wingate stated.
Plans for a new station have been a decade in the making. Grand County staff has been working to raise funds to replace the station, with preliminary construction estimates at about $25 million.
In 2023, staff requested a $3 million grant from U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse’s office and a separate $3 million grant from Sen. Michael Bennet’s office, neither of which have been awarded. These funds would be part of a congressionally directed spending package for projects in Colorado.
“Our request is still pending … and I’m optimistic that a full federal budget will be passed this year that releases those funds,” Wingate said.
Staff are also finalizing the station’s primary funding, a lease purchase certificate of participation, which Wingate said will enable EMS to pay for the building over time. Voters also approved in 2021 a 1.75 mill levy increase for EMS, which aimed to raise annual revenue by an estimated $1.75 million for operational and capital needs.
As for the current EMS building, it will likely be sold, pending approval from the commissioners. Funds from that sale will go toward paying down the cost of the new building.


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