Larimer County Celebrates Construction Milestone for New Emergency Services Facility
Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen and county leaders marked a significant construction milestone on the new Emergency Services facility last week as crews placed the highest structural beam during a traditional topping off ceremony.
The ceremony celebrates the extensive planning and construction progress transforming a long-planned facility from concept to reality. The project will consolidate Emergency Services operations that have operated from an outdated North Shields Street building since the 1980s.
The current facility has housed emergency operations for more than four decades after the county converted a former Road & Bridge property into Emergency Services headquarters. The building now serves as headquarters for wildland firefighting operations, fire supply storage, and equipment storage for Larimer County Search and Rescue, Inc. and Larimer County Dive Rescue Team, Inc.
Facility Outgrown by Operational Demands
The original building was designed to accommodate approximately five employees when it opened in the early 1980s. Nearly 30 staff members and volunteers now operate from the facility, according to county records.
Larimer County's population has grown from under 150,000 residents in 1980 to nearly 370,000 in 2025, substantially increasing demand for specialized emergency services. Wildland fire risk and backcountry recreation have further strained facility capacity.
The county's 2018 Facilities Master Plan identified the Emergency Services building as beyond designed capacity and requiring substantial upgrade or replacement. Expansion at the North Shields location proved prohibitively expensive because the site sits in a floodplain, presenting operational risk and limiting capital investment options.
New Facility to House Multiple Emergency Operations
The new 30,000-square-foot facility will split space equally between staff and incident command areas and garage and equipment storage. The building will support wildland fire response, search and rescue operations, dive rescue teams, disaster management and mutual aid coordination.
Construction incorporates sustainability features including geothermal wells for heating and cooling. County officials broke ground on the project June 5, with completion estimated for late 2026 to early 2027.
The county secured approximately $4 million in grant funding for the project, including $2 million from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Additional funding comes from county tax revenue and capital improvement budgets.
All field equipment will be stored indoors at the new facility, improving operational readiness and protecting equipment investments. Dedicated training and incident command space will streamline response and support interagency coordination during regional emergencies affecting both Larimer and Weld counties.
The facility will serve as a regional mutual aid and emergency operations center for multi-county incidents. Organizations housed at the new building include the Larimer County Sheriff's Office Emergency Services Division, wildland firefighting teams, Larimer County Search and Rescue, Inc., and Larimer County Dive Rescue Team, Inc.
Both search and rescue and dive rescue operate as independent nonprofit organizations staffed by volunteers but maintain formal integration with county emergency response through memoranda of understanding with the Sheriff's Office.
County officials said they will share additional project details as construction approaches completion.