Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One will use $2 million in federal money to give its two smallest and oldest stations a makeover.

Officials with the Pierce County fire district, which serves 50,000 residents, learned this week that it was one of three fire departments in Washington to receive money from this year’s federal stimulus package. Snoqualmie Pass and Sedro-Wooley are the other state recipients.

Gig Harbor will use the money to renovate and expand its stations on Fox Island and in the Crescent Valley area, both of which the volunteer firefighting force has outgrown.

Both stations were built in the late 1970s, and each is only 3,000 square feet. They lack adequate sleeping areas – the department had to put single-wide mobile homes nearby – and, in a note of irony, the buildings lack fire alarms or sprinkler systems. Those weren’t required in buildings 30 years ago.

Chief Bob Black said the money will help the district bring the buildings up to code and provide more space, which would be necessary if the district ever decided to staff them with career firefighters.

“We’re just really excited to do major upgrades to those stations,” Black said. “One of the things we focus on is improving response times. This will help in those areas.”

The federal money is the first grant of any significance that the fire district has won, he said. Officials submitted the application last month.

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said in a statement that with fire departments struggling as local governments cut their budgets, the grants will help them make critical structural improvements.

The Gig Harbor fire district will make $1.6 million worth of improvements to each station, including renovations and an expansion of 1,200 square feet apiece.

The Fox Island station is at 906 Kamus Drive. The Crescent Valley station is at 10521 Crescent Valley Drive N.W.

The district is working on designs and hasn’t announced an estimated completion date.

Assistant chief Eric Watson said the current staff configuration has two to four volunteer firefighters staying at each station, with other volunteers available on call.

The expansion will allow the district to staff the stations with full-time firefighters if growth on the peninsula calls for it.

“This is still pretty modest, but for those rural areas, it will be a big deal,” Watson said.

Brent Champaco: 253-597-8653

brent.champaco@thenewstribune.com

At a glance

Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One:

 • Serves 50,000 residents over 55 square miles

 • $16 million annual budget

 • 78 full-time career firefighters; 37 volunteer

 • Nine stations