A structure fire can double every minute, and someone who collapses from cardiac arrest loses 10% of the chance they’ll survive each minute before professional help arrives

Given the high stakes when small measures of time can mean the difference, officials from the town of Hideout decided to provide funding for a temporary fire station equipped to serve their residents, even if it wasn’t included in the municipality’s budget.

Now, with the temporary fire station weeks away from opening, they’re asking for the community’s help to cover the costs the town fronted. Saturday morning, they held an event just down the hill from the temporary Station 56, to ask for donations. 

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Town Councilor Chris Baier said that while there is a fully-operational fire station visible from the rapidly-expanding lakeside community, the Jordanelle Reservoir that stretches between the two points creates a significant delay for emergency responders when they are needed in Hideout.

“It takes a long, long time to drive around,” she said. “Because Hideout is exploding with growth … we want to have emergency services — fire and EMS — close by.”

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Though she didn’t know of any major fires that have struck Hideout in the past, she did recall that November 2023, Skyridge Mountain Community’s horse barn that was under construction burned in an early morning blaze visible all around the Jordanelle as an example of the kind of disaster that could devastate the community..

“Even though fire is our No. 1 threat, we — knock wood — have not had any local fires” she said. “With Highway 248 near here, it could take someone throwing a cigarette butt out the window in dry conditions or somebody pulling a trailer dragging a chain that could create sparks in our driest season that could cause a wildfire. We also have a lot of construction going on here, and sometimes there are mishaps at construction sites.”

While fire has existed only as a very-real threat, she said several residents have had very real medical emergencies. 

“That, I think, is what people can really understand as being the greatest benefit of having this fire station with EMS support so close to home,” she said.

Wasatch Fire District Chief Eric Hales said Station 56 will help emergency responders cut 8-12 minutes off their response time in the area.

“We were hoping with them putting in Jordanelle Parkway that it was going to cut off some time, but with as windy as that road is it’s really difficult to get our heavy fire apparatus around there in a timely manner,” he said. “Having equipment on this side that has EMS first response equipment as well as firefighting capabilities is really beneficial.”

While the fire district has a strategic plan with a permanent fire station to be built in Hideout, Hales said the $6 million-$8 million project won’t happen for a few more years. And when it does, Hales said the fire district plans to move the temporary station to other underserved locations until permanent firehouses can be built, making it a cost-effective way to lower response times in those areas. 

While Hideout has overseen site engineering and the Wasatch Fire District has provided emergency equipment, finding a suitable plot of land for the temporary fire house was somewhat more challenging.

Initially, city leaders began working to build the temporary station next to its public works building, but they found the infrastructure costs of doing so burdensome.

GCD, the development and construction company building the Shoreline community next to Highway 248, granted some of its land for free temporary use.

“We’re very, very grateful,” Baier said. 

The temporary station — which will consist of a small structure to house emergency responders 24/7 and a heated, covered 20- by 40-foot membrane tent over a cement pad — may be ready on June 1, Hales said.

He added that he appreciates Hideout’s collaboration with the fire district and for GCD’s land contribution for the temporary station. 

“To the community, we just want to let them know that we thank them for their support for last year’s sales tax initiative that they did pass,” he said. “We are acting on that. We are going to provide the resources that they not only need but deserve throughout this community.”