DEPARTMENT IN FOCUS
GARDEN CITY FIRE DISTRICT by Chief Mike Wahlberg
In the mid-1860s, LDS pioneers settled the Bear Lake Valley, an area rich in fish, game, and opportunity, and soon the little community located along the shores of Bear Lake, also known as “The Caribbean of the Rockies,� became the town of Garden City. Garden City and the turquoise blue waters of Bear Lake has long attracted large numbers of tourists and recreationists. With large seasonal fluctuations in the population, and the ever-increasing number of structures and property values, the need for a fire protection district was a high priority. In 1976 this need was finally met, and the Garden City Fire District was officially organized by a resolution of the Rich County Commissioners. The fire district initially had a small handful of strictly volunteer firefighters with an outdated engine and an old pickup truck converted into a brush truck. As time went on, more equipment was acquired, including a 55' ladder truck, and in 2002 a new Freightliner FL 80 1500-gallon pumper engine was purchased. Additionally a 2004 f-350 truck was donated to the department and was built into a rescue/squad truck with a 300-gallon tank and CAFS. In 2015, two more apparatus were added to the fleet:
a 1000-gallon 5-ton 6x6 wildland engine and a 32' rapid rescue boat with twin 250 HP engines, 3D side finder sonar, radar for search and rescue operations, and BLS medical equipment with AED. Emergency services in Garden City is split between the fire district and the county EMS association. A county ambulance is housed at the fire station, and a close partnership between fire and EMS ensures an effective and a rapid response to all local emergencies. Many of the fire department personnel are both fire and EMS volunteers, ensuring the best care possible to our citizens and visitors. The Garden City Fire District currently has 24 active personnel, including 6 AEMTs and 6 EMT basics. We are organized with a fire chief, assistant chief, 3 captains, 2 lieutenants, and 17 firefighters. All personnel are paid on call except for the chief, who is a full-time employee. Of the personnel, 8 are state certified at Firefighter II, 10 at Firefighter I, 20 wildland firefighters, 2 engine bosses, and 17 certified in hazmat operations. There are also personnel state certified to technician level in high- and low-angle rescue, trench collapse, and structural collapse. There are also personnel certified in ADO Pumper and Instructor I.
Garden City will experience a population swing of around 1,000-1,500 in the winter to more than 30,000 for four months of the year during the summer weekends.
Marine 40, purchased in 2015, will provide fire and rescue capabilities on Bear Lake for many years to come.
22 | UFRA Straight Tip
photography by Mike Wahlberg