Harry Reid International Airport broke ground this week on a new $23.1 million Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Station, replacing a facility that has served crews on the Las Vegas airfield for more than 40 years. The project, funded federally and backed by Nevada's congressional delegation, is meant to replace one of the oldest stations in the Clark County Fire Department while the airport braces for continued passenger growth.
Harry Reid International Airport broke ground Tuesday on the new facility, according to cedarnews.net. The outlet reported the project is intended to help accommodate growing air travel demand while maintaining emergency response capabilities, operational readiness, and the safety of passengers, employees, and airport operations. As reported by FOX5 Vegas, the new building will replace Station 13 on the LAS airfield, and members of the Nevada congressional delegation joined airport officials for the groundbreaking.
Station 13 currently serves a dual role, providing fire protection to the airfield and aircraft that land at Reid Airport, as well as medical aid and fire response for passengers and employees, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The existing station fields about 5,000 emergency calls annually, according to coyotecountrylv.com.
What the New Station Will Include
According to FOX5 Vegas, the new facility is slated for completion in early 2028 and will include nine apparatus bays, two more than the current station, along with enhanced training space, individual dorm rooms, and modern paging and alert technology. The outlet reported the facility will measure 28,000 square feet. 8newsnow.com similarly reported a 28,000-square-foot facility with two new striker vehicles, while coyotecountrylv.com reported the new building will add roughly 35,000 square feet, additional bay space, and updated alerting technology intended to shave time off crew response.
Timelines also diverge across outlets. FOX5 Vegas and 8newsnow.com both reported a completion date of early 2028, with 8newsnow.com specifying January 2028, while thenevadaglobe.com reported the project is projected to achieve operational commissioning by late 2027. Cost estimates differ too: most outlets, including FOX5 Vegas and 8newsnow.com, cite $23.1 million in federal funding, but thenevadaglobe.com identified the project as a $40 million airfield fire station effort.
Officials Tout Safety and Speed Gains
Clark County Director of Aviation James C. Chrisley said modern safety infrastructure is fundamental to operating a world-class airport, per FOX5 Vegas reporting. He added that crews will have better corridors, better technology and better equipment, a point echoed in 8 News Now's coverage of the groundbreaking.
Clark County Fire Chief Billy Samuels said the facility will help firefighters remain prepared and provide resources and equipment for safe and effective work, and he expressed gratitude to the Nevada congressional delegation and the Clark County Department of Aviation for continued investment in emergency response operations, according to FOX5 Vegas. Samuels told 8 News Now that everything in the new building will be closer to the rigs, which means we get a better response time, and called the layout more ergonomically safe for crews.
Sen. Jacky Rosen said Harry Reid International is an essential part of Southern Nevada's economy and connects the community to the world, and that the funding will provide state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to help keep airport travelers safe, per FOX5 Vegas. The airport hosts some of the world's biggest events, underscoring why officials say emergency readiness cannot lag behind passenger volume as air travel continues to grow in Las Vegas, per 8newsnow.com.
Part of a Bigger Airport Overhaul
The fire station project arrives as Harry Reid International served nearly 55 million passengers in 2025, the third-highest annual total in the airport's history, according to the airport's own newsroom, which also noted the airport acquired new Airport Rescue Fire Fighting vehicles in 2025 to enhance safety. Airport planners are preparing a multibillion-dollar modernization program while keeping operations running during continued visitor growth and major events, the Review-Journal reported, with plans calling for expanding the airport's A and B concourses from 39 to an estimated 65 gates. The Review-Journal listed a new fire station among the airport improvements that have already occurred or are close to starting.
Las Vegas isn't alone in upgrading its airfield emergency infrastructure. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport has opened its own new Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting station as part of a broader investment in emergency response infrastructure, according to Airport Improvement magazine.
