LAYTON—When firefighter Kendall O. Bryant responded to a house fire on March 31, 2000, he didn’t know it would be his last. Bryant was killed that night, becoming the first Layton firefighter to lose his life in the line of duty. Each year to honor his memory, the Layton Fire Department holds a Fire Prevention open house to teach the community about fire safety.

“We named it after him,” said Assistant Fire Chief Scott Adams. “He enjoyed going out to the schools and teaching about fire prevention. We all participated but he just really enjoyed it and he would always come out and volunteer. The open house is one of the ways we chose to honor him.”

Adams said the night Bryant died he was searching a Layton home that was on fire. “They were told there might be a teenage person trapped inside but there was some conflicting information. Some said the teen was out but couldn’t be found outside. The crew was searching and got trapped above the fire on the second floor. He didn’t make it out.”

Bryant was also a full-time firefighter for Ogden City at the time of his death, said Adams. 

Since that time, the fire department and Layton City have grown. There are currently three stations and the department recently broke ground for a fourth. “It will be at 1325 N. Valley View Drive,” Adams said. “It’s where Gordon intersects with Hwy 89. We can go either north or south and cover a lot of the east side of 89 where we have a wildland interface problem.”

The new station will have staff for one engine company and one ambulance crew, he said. “The crew is subject to go anywhere in the city.”

Adams said the station will require hiring new employees. “We have six firefighters right now in the training academy that will staff an ambulance until it opens. In March we’ll have six more in training. We’re doing phased hiring so we don’t get hit with all the staffing at one time.”

The department also has property for a fifth station, he said. “We’ll relocate the station on Fort Lane. It was built in the 70s when it was an all volunteer crew. It’s been remodeled a couple of times. The property is between Target and Lincoln Elementary School. It will give more coverage of the east portion of that area.”

In the meantime the focus is on the fourth station. “We anticipate it will be done by July 1,” said Adams. “Depending on weather, etc. it could be later.”