BOISE, Idaho — A $4.5 million project officially got off the ground Thursday at the Boise Airport.
Boise Fire, city and airport officials all took part in the grand opening of the airport's new Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Station.
The station is located right on the airfield.
It's meant to respond to aircraft emergencies and will be staffed by five firefighters - 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Boise Fire Chief Dennis Doan says this update is crucial for the department.
"We need to do it for a few reasons, the station was getting old, but we also needed to make it more accessible for more diverse firefighters as they lived here,” said Doan. “Rather than having an open dorm we were able to open the dorms up and make it accessible for people that have special needs too."
Most of the project's $4.5 million cost will be reimbursed by federal grants.