Hamilton Rural Fire Station & Emergency Operations Center

In Fundraising

Hennebery Eddy completed a feasibility study and conceptual design to help the Hamilton Rural Fire District plan and fundraise for a new facility to serve Montana’s Ravalli County in the Bitterroot Valley. The public safety building design draws inspiration from the historic Tammany stables, built for a famous racehorse, and from neighboring farms and ranches. The simple gable roof incorporates a rhythm of vertical monitors and clerestories that offer abundant daylighting. Prominently featured, locally sourced cross-laminated-timber and glulam trusses are a contemporary expression of traditional wood gambrel trusses. A restrained exterior palette prioritizes durable, low-maintenance, and contextual materials like textured metal and wood siding that has been charred and sealed.

The project incorporates 25,000 square feet of emergency operations center and public community room for events and training, the county’s 24-hour 9-1-1 call center, a 10-bay fire apparatus bay with space for training, and future living quarters for the crew. The station will also house a specialized apparatus that can respond to aircraft crashes or fires at the adjacent Ravalli County airport. To support a resilient emergency response, the facility will be fully backed-up and solar-ready; the site will also be self-sufficient with a well, cistern, and drain field.