Early in 2000, the Log Hill Mesa (Colo.) Volunteer Fire Department started raising funds to replace its fire station. Actually, it was tough to call the small building with no running water that housed only one fire truck per fire station. But while department members fought for a new station, the community fought the department.

Located in the Southwest corner of Colorado, just 35 minutes from Telluride, Log Hill Mesa looks out on the San Juan Mountain Range. The department's first location was shot down by community protests, forcing it to sell the site and find another. Rezoning the second site took four years.

At their own expense, four department board members attended the 2006 Station Style Conference. Since then, board member Janet Pritchett has kept me posted on the ups and downs of the project.

After the sale of the first site, the department found that the $1 million it had raised wasn't enough, and some of the three department vehicles would have to be parked in someone's driveway. The department settled on a two-bay building, 80 feet deep, but still was $250,000 short. Plans went on hold while members tried to raise more money. The department received a $300,000 Mineral Impact Grant and another $100,000 cash from a developer. This dream was becoming a reality despite continued community protests.

The department finally broke ground on Sept. 17, 2007, and this month the Log Hill Mesa Fire Protection District will move into its new, 6,600-square-foot, four-bay fire station. While it's not the drive-through bay it originally had planned, it does have two offices, one that will be offered to the sheriff and one for a future ambulance service. Even with all new furnishings, right down to dishes and paper products, Pritchett says the project came within $500 of the total budget.

Log Hill Mesa's pursuit of a new facility is fairly common. The board members' determination blew me away when I met them in 2006. I knew they would get that station one day.

For eight years, FIRE CHIEF has received submissions from across the nation for the Station Style Design Awards. I've listened to the judges and talked to chiefs about building new facilities, and I have a few observations to share.

Today's consumers are educated about their buying decisions. So are fire departments. Fire chiefs now head committees that research new apparatus and equipment. An educated buyer knows what questions to ask and expects good answers in the search for the right product worth the time and money invested. The same approach should be used for station design.

Similar to apparatus manufacturers, architects range from very large corporations to small offices. Designing fire and emergency facilities is a niche market, but it's also a growing one, particularly as many departments collocate with other public safety or governmental agencies. It's critical to find an architect you can work with, who asks questions, understands your business, and recognizes your space and equipment needs.

Talk to other chiefs and project managers and see what lessons they learned from their projects and what they would do differently. Also visit other new facilities.

Consider collocating to get more for less. Several fire departments that recently collocated their facilities with police found improved working relationships along with the cost-savings.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification is changing the design and construction of fire stations. Energy-saving skylights, environment-friendly and recycled materials, wood from sustainable forests, natural water supply, and air conditioning are all things to seriously consider for your next facility whether it's next year or in 10 years.

UPS founder Jim Casey once said, “Determined men [and women], working together, can do anything.” That was certainly the case in Log Hill Mesa. It's interesting to see how savvy — how confident — chiefs and officers become through the process of designing and building a new facility for their department. An educated design team can and does make a difference.