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Fire Station No. 2 being remodeled, a fourth fire station in the works In Family City U.S.A., city officials take protecting residents seriously, and that includes recent efforts to update and expand Orem's fire protection and emergency medical services.
In June, the city inked a $1.2 million annual deal with Lindon to provide its neighbor to the north with fire, emergency medical, and dispatch services. The agreement provides Lindon with 24/7 fire and emergency medical service but also has the added benefit of providing the Orem Fire Division with a place to staff its firefighters and paramedics currently displaced by a remodel of Orem's Fire Station No. 2, said Mike Larsen, Orem's Public Safety director. He said the pact has been a win-win for both cities. "From my perspective, and I think Lindon would tell you the same thing, it's been a very good thing," Larsen said. "Lindon has full-time coverage ... Plus it's very beneficial to us (for service coverage) in the northeast part of (Orem)." Orem Fire Station No. 2, at 911 N. Main Street, is undergoing a nearly $1 million remodel and seismic retrofit begun last spring that will be completed by mid-November. Built in 1974, the one-story station was originally configured with barracks-style sleeping quarters, not conducive to today's male and female firefighter staffings, he said. Four women are firefighters and paramedics in the Orem Fire Division. "The staffing will the same, but it won't fall down if we have an earthquake," Larsen said. Orem's Fire Station No. 1 underwent a similar remodel and earthquake-proof upgrade that was completed one year ago. When Fire Station No. 2 is finished later this fall, the staff currently working at the Lindon Fire Station will return to Station No. 2. New employees are currently being hired and trained to take over duties at the Lindon station under the guidance of Orem Fire supervisors, he said. In recent years, city leaders and Public Safety department officials have recognized the need to shore up fire service in Orem's southwest corner. With vast amounts of multi-story high-density student housing, a large commercial district and Utah Valley University, Larsen said the city wants to provide a quicker and improved response to the area. "We were lacking a bit with our coverage there," he said. The city has purchased property for an Orem Fire Station No. 4 at approximately 1250 S. 1600 West, a strategic move, Larsen said. The concern has been that if there were ever a train derailment or significant freeway collapse near University Parkway, emergency services would be cut off from reaching the west side of Interstate 15. "We specifically chose to be west of the Interstate and west of the railroad," he said. Fire Station No. 4 is currently in the design phase, and though the city has budgeted $1.8 million for the project, Orem is pausing to pull the trigger on construction due to the national economic downturn. "Our tax revenues are down," Larsen said. "It's still needed and that's a big ticket item ... We're waiting to see and not spending the money. We're still designing so we have time." The City Council will put the fire station project out to bid when it feels the city can proceed with discretionary projects while remaining within the city's budget, Mayor Jerry Washburn said. The city hopes the delay won't be more than a year or so, he said. "We have made that a very important priority," Washburn said. "Having these modern facilities and technology allows us to provide the very best response possible." |
