County to weigh $1.74M start-up tab to staff and equip Station 8

Teton County commissioners on June 16 are set to decide whether to proceed with a new Gros Ventre Fire/EMS station knowing the county-side start-up bill is estimated at $1,737,098 for apparatus, equipment, IT, and volunteer onboarding, before the station ever answers a call. The cost sheet in the MOU packet breaks that number into big-ticket purchases like a Type 3 engine ($850,000 plus $70,000 in equipment) and a 3,000-gallon water tender ($600,000 plus $5,000 in equipment), plus $60,500 for IT and station systems, and $151,598 to recruit and outfit eight volunteers. Details are in the county’s MOU staff report.

The same packet estimates ongoing annual expenses of $104,846 for a volunteer model, including about $50,046 for volunteer personnel costs and $54,800 for utilities and maintenance. One thing I will be watching is whether commissioners ask for a funding plan and measurable milestones tied to those start-up purchases, especially since the briefing sheet also floats a full-time staffing alternative that would run $1.1 million to $1.54 million annually if the county eventually shifts away from volunteers.