Ground broken on new M-F ambulance station

By Dan Thesman on Thursday, March 12th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

MILTON-FREEWATER – The Milton-Freewater Rural Fire Department and EMS has broken ground on a $2.5 million ambulance station designed to drastically reduce emergency response times.

Located at the intersection of South Columbia Street (OR-11) and Northeast Fifth Avenue, the new facility is strategically positioned to serve the city’s core. Fire Chief Rick Saager anticipates the station will shorten response times by over 60 percent. Currently, roughly 80 percent of the department’s ambulance calls occur within Milton-Freewater city limits.

The privately funded project is being constructed by Walla Walla-based Nelson Construction. Once complete, the building will house two ambulances and feature full sleeping quarters, enabling professional crews to staff the site 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

Construction is expected to take approximately seven months.

File photo of the site for the new ambulance station