Firefighters and community members attending the hose cutting ceremony for Logan City Fire Department’s Station 70, April 26, 2024.
LOGAN — The Logan City Fire Department celebrated the official opening of Station 70. Family, friends and local leaders joined firefighters in a hose cutting ceremony Friday, April 26, at 90 East 200 North.
Logan City Fire Chief Nate Thompson said it was an “extraordinary day” for the department. While the new building will provide larger facilities, modern technology, and be seismically up to date, it is hard to leave the old station.
“It was a great building for 50 years,” said Thompson. “I’ve got tons of memories. That is where I became a new firefighter, then changed and was promoted through the ranks. It is bittersweet thinking about the legacy but at the same time, what a great move forward for the city of Logan and the people we serve. This new building will be great for another 50 years or more.”
Logan City Fire Chief Nate Thompson speaks during the hose cutting ceremony at Station 70, April 26, 2024.
The new station has been in the works since 2018. Construction started in October 2022.
Logan Mayor Holly Daines said they wanted to begin the project sooner but had to secure funding and determine the best location. In 2022, when an earthquake hit Magna and was felt throughout this area, the concerns about the old fire station grew.
“We did do some structural upgrades several years ago to make sure it was safe for firefighters to get out,” explained Daines. “But I kept thinking what if we had our fire and rescue equipment in a building that was damaged in an earthquake and they couldn’t get out. That was a huge concern for me and that’s when we started to really take a look at how do we make this happen.”
Mayor Daines joined Chief Thompson, members of the Logan City Council, and Representative Mike Peterson in cutting a length of fire house to open the station. With a little help, the mayor used a hydraulic rescue tool to cut the hose that had been stretched across one of the front doors.
Thompson talked about how the station will not only allow for future growth but also pay tribute to the hundreds of firefighters who have served since the department was created in 1916. During the past century, the headquarters has always stayed within the same proximity.
Logan Fire Honor Guard raising the flag outside Logan City Fire Department’s Station 70, as Bobby Pitcher played bagpipes, April 26, 2024.
“So being right here is critical,” stated Thompson. “We gave up nothing in terms of speed and response time staying in this epicenter. This station is the workhorse of the Logan City, no question.”
The construction project totaled around $14 million and wouldn’t have been possible without financial assistance. The department was able to secure more than $10 million in grants, a majority of which came from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.