Gros Ventre Fire/EMS station

Fire Station 1 in downtown Jackson currently provides coverage for the area north of Jackson, with backup from the Moran Fire Station and, secondarily, the Grand Teton National Park Rangers. 

For most of Kelly, northern Spring Gulch Road and Highway 89 offshoots, this leads to fire or EMT response times of a minimum of 15-20 minutes (and another 15-20 minutes back to the hospital for EMT emergencies). This is the best-case scenario as this neighborhood and road are closest to Jackson. For folks who live in Kelly, Moose or Buffalo Valley, these response times are much greater.

Insurance companies are increasingly reluctant to provide coverage for homes over four to ten miles from a fire station. In some cases, insurers have declined to underwrite entirely. When written, premiums have skyrocketed and can be as much as twice those of a home within five miles of a station. Some have even been canceled, leaving residents without coverage.

As you can see in the top map, Station 8 represents a large gap in our community in terms of coverage for medical, fire and wildfire response time.

The residents of Teton County voted in 2022 to provide SPET funds to build/rebuild fire stations in downtown Wilson and Hoback. In addition, Teton County has recently purchased a parcel of land in Alta to construct a fire station to provide coverage in that area. Any fire station north of Jackson would likely be behind all these, possibly late 2030s or longer.

We have created a nonprofit, the Friends of the Gros Ventre Fire Station (FGVFS), to accelerate the construction of a fire station in the north Jackson area to ensure that the residents north of town will be served in a timely manner and responses to wildfires and other emergencies can happen as soon as they are noticed.

New Gros Ventre Fire/EMS Station

In 2024, the residents of Teton County approved SPET funds for the rebuilding of Station 3 in Hoback and Station 2 in Wilson.  The County is also considering upgrading its service in Adams Canyon and Alta. The County has 35 full-time firefighters and 75 volunteers.  With both the Capital budget and Operating budget under pressure due to revenue constraints, the FGFS believes that the best approach to accelerate a Gros Ventre Fire/EMS station is to create a Public/Private Partnership.  

A Public/Private partnership would relieve the County’s pressure on its budget. Fundraising for the project could begin as soon as a Memorandum of Understanding with the County is approved to show the County will carry out its commitments as the private sector carries its. We estimate that operations could begin as soon as 2028 if funds were raised immediately.

Building the fire station

The Gros Ventre Fire Station will likely include the following features:

  • Three drive-through vehicle bays with room for three apparatus

    • A Type 3 fire engine that can handle wildfires as well as structure fires

    • A water transport vehicle

    • A rescue vehicle/ambulance

  • Space for offices, a conference room for training and meetings (also available to the public), as well as rooms for equipment, restrooms, decontamination room, shower, storage and mechanical.

  • The second floor will include space for dorm rooms for staff on duty and studio apartments for fire personnel living there. It will also provide sleeping accommodations for staff on duty.

Ensuring the safety of our neighbors, rural communities, and natural resources is critical to the goals of our valley. We are the stewards of this ecosystem and each other. FGVFS believes a fire station north of town is essential to serving and protecting.

The Friends of the Gros Ventre Fire Station (FGVFS) is a Teton County, Wyoming-based nonprofit organization formed to galvanize our community and spearhead fundraising efforts to accelerate building a fire station north of Jackson.

Friends of the Gros Ventre Fire Station is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, Tax ID # 92-3820674