Shoshone-Bannock Tribes to hold groundbreaking for new fire station next week

FORT HALL — The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are pleased to announce the groundbreaking of the new Fort Hall Fire Station on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, at 10:00 am located at 70 Widowville Road in Fort Hall.

Invited dignitaries will attend the event along with the Fort Hall Business Council, the project team, business partners and community members.

“We are looking forward to this momentous occasion and are extremely grateful for Congressman Simpson and the Fort Hall Business Council’s support of this project that will benefit the Fort Hall and surrounding communities,” said Fort Hall Fire Chief Eric King.

The Fort Hall Fire Station Construction Project is possible due to federal funding that was awarded to the Tribes in 2022. On March 10, 2022, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson announced the $7 million in federal funding for the construction of a new fire station on the Fort Hall Reservation. The funds were part of nearly $24 million allocated to eight projects in Idaho’s Second Congressional District in the FY22 Omnibus Appropriations Act.

According to the 2022 statement, “the funding is designated to address the inadequate facility needs of the Fort Hall Fire Department and EMS operations. Current facilities rely on antiquated equipment, decrepit structures, failing infrastructure, and poor location and access. The project will provide high-quality essential services to protect the lives and property of Reservation residents, employees, and visitors, as well as the surrounding communities.”

The Tribes have selected JHS Architects for the project and the CM Company as the contractor. The project has a twenty-month construction schedule and a one-month schedule contingency with a substantial completion date of May 21, 2026.