Residents of Henefer now have a fire station with around-the-clock staffing for the first time in the small community’s history, thanks to a federal grant that allowed the North Summit Fire District to remodel its South Henefer Road facility.

The building had already been in use as a fire station. However, grant funding helped the department finance an approximately $400,000 upgrade to install bedrooms for firefighters so they can be on-call in the area 24/7.

“About two and a half months ago, we took on the project of remodeling this building to be ready to house firefighters in here,” said Tyler Rowser, a battalion chief with the North Summit Fire District. “We have a … different place from where it was before.”

Community members were invited to tour the updated fire station as part of an open house last week, getting a glimpse of the firefighters’ living quarters and the garage where emergency equipment is stored.

“Having a better functioning facility here is important to the community and to our firefighters because it’s a safer environment for them,” Rowser said. “We were able to get a system to help extract all the exhaust out of the bays when the trucks start up. … We were able to incorporate that into this project as well to help with getting that out and with cancer prevention.”

Rowser called the remodeled building a “milestone” for the Henefer community, saying the Fire District plans to station three firefighters at the location to increase response times to incidents in Henefer. Previously, first responders would travel to Henefer from Coalville or Morgan County, which added approximately 10 minutes to response times.

North Summit Fire Chief Ben Nielson shared similar sentiments in a speech at the open house shortly before a group of firefighters cut through a firehose with the jaws of life, the nickname for a hydraulic-powered rescue tool used by emergency responders — the fire station’s version of a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“This is unprecedented for Henefer,” Nielson said. “You’re going to have a full-time agency, with firefighters living here 365 days a year, 24/7. It’s going to be something you’ve never seen before.”

The building itself isn’t the only upgrade to the fire station, though. Nielson told the crowd of excited Henefer residents that other improvements include paramedic rescue services, a new ambulance and a variety of fire engines stationed in the middle of the small town.

“If anything happens locally, they should be able to handle it,” Nielson said. “You’re going to have fast response times out of here for the area, and then also a little bit of an announcement is that we’ll be covering paramedicine for Morgan County, also. We’re pretty excited that this station is going to be pivotal for the entire area to get better from the Wasatch Back all the way to Wasatch.”

Henefer Town Councilor Steven Dallin, who sits on the North Summit Fire District’s administrative control board, said he supported the project as a government official and resident of Henefer.

“We’re excited to have this type of setup in town where we can rely on having not only firefighters, but EMTs,” Dallin said. “Henefer’s been 10 minutes away from either Morgan or Coalville, so we’ve always been right in the middle. We’re excited to have a full-time staff right here.”

Nielson similarly remarked on the differences between the North Summit Fire District in its current iteration as a professional organization compared to how the agency operated as a volunteer fire department prior to 2022. He thanked the Park City Fire District for their continued support in the organization’s efforts to expand services in North Summit.

“Our mission today is to make sure that the taxes you have given to us, the support you’ve given to us are actually in use and being used for a good cause,” Nielson said. “I want to promise you that we will keep that promise for you guys and keep making it better and better.”

Dallin said he hopes the updated facility also gives residents a greater sense of comfort and security.

“It’s one of those organizations where you don’t ever want to use them, but when you’re in need, it’s good to have them close,” Dallin said. “We’re excited to have this as part of our community, with an organization that is dedicated to the community and our town and our residents. We appreciate their service and what they do for us.”

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The Henefer Town Council is updating its General Plan to visualize the next 20 years of development in the small North Summit municipality, including a commercial core on Main Street and an expansion of local road infrastructure.

The General Plan is a guiding document intended to help the Town Council navigate conversations with developers. Town planner Jake Young presented a preliminary version of the General Plan to the Town Council and Henefer Planning Commission on Thursday, with a focus on land use, transportation and commercial development.

The draft showed future residential areas stretching north of East Canyon Road and south of 200 South, extending the stretch of town where a number of single-family homes are already located. The map also included two new parks in the potential neighborhoods.

Young encouraged the Town Council to consider where commercial businesses could establish themselves in Henefer, stressing the importance of capturing commercial tax dollars as the state Legislature works to reduce the amount of property taxes collected from private homeowners.

He suggested incentivizing a commercial core on Main Street between 200 North and 100 South, but the Town Council expressed concerns about existing single-family residences on the block.

Planning Commissioner Micah Richins specifically said he supported the idea, but he didn’t know if it would be an appealing area to commercial developers because of the demolition work they would need to do.

Young said he would keep the stretch between 200 North and 100 South as a potential area for commercial businesses, but he shifted the designated commercial core slightly north to be between East Canyon Road and 200 North.

The change was based on feedback from the Town Council and Henefer Mayor Kay Richins, who all agreed the empty lot on the corner of 200 North was more likely to “spark” further development along Main Street than redeveloping residential lots to the south.

The General Plan draft also expanded the local road systems to the north and south in conjunction with the two residential zones. Young said he aimed to keep the grid system as efficient as possible, which is why it was important to plan road infrastructure before developers build new neighborhoods.

Young also mentioned access for emergency services as a key reason to plan ahead.

The proposal touched on recreation, too, with Young suggesting a series of trails along the river and around the meadows to the north. He pointed out the zoned outdoor recreation area where the Weber Crossing Campground is and recommended the Town Council encourage more “high end” campgrounds to bolster the town’s offerings.

The Town Council wasn’t necessarily opposed to having “high end” campgrounds, but Micah Richins said he was concerned about formalizing that approach through an ordinance because it could price out local business owners, who are often fronting investments out of pocket and without much financial backing.

Young said he hoped to have the Town Council adopt the finalized General Plan by the end of the year. There will be opportunities for community members to learn more about and comment on the draft at a future open house and public hearing to be scheduled at a later date.

Once the Planning Commission holds its public hearing, it will forward a recommendation to the Town Council. The Town Council will then discuss and possibly modify the plan before holding a final vote on its adoption.

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