Ivins • A retired and publicity-shy entrepreneur’s multimillion dollar pledge is reshaping the future of public safety in a southern Utah town, providing the momentum needed to revitalize an aging municipal fire station.

Geoff Schmidt, a 73-year-old Ivins resident, has committed $2 million toward the renovation and expansion of Santa Clara-Ivins Fire and Rescue’s station in his adopted hometown, a project estimated to cost roughly $5 million.

“We would be in a big bind on how to fund this fire station without his donation,” Ivins City Manager Chuck Gillette said. “The fact Geoff has stepped up to help us out is what makes this project possible.”

Before the philanthropist’s donation, Ivins city officials conceded that a new or revamped fire station was little more than a pipe dream given the millions required to build it.

A needs assessment completed in September recommended building three new stations in the city that could cost $10 million or more, said former Ivins Mayor Chris Hart.

Two months later, during a city council work session, Hart recommended expanding the 90 W. Center St. station as a cost-effective alternative. Unbeknownst to city officials, Schmidt was watching the livestream. The very next morning, Hart said he received an email from Schmidt offering a $2 million contribution.

“I was stunned,” Hart said. “Then I got a great big smile because one of the conditions was that the donation could only be applied to the expansion and restoration of the existing building.”

A legacy of giving

Schmidt’s contribution to Ivins and Santa Clara, which have merged their police and fire departments, may be his largest, but it is not his first. A transplant from Dillon, Colorado who moved to Ivins in 2017, he previously donated $15,000 to help fund the purchase of a new police dog, Rosko, according to city officials.

Last year, his $55,000 donation enabled the fire department to purchase lightweight summer uniforms, boots, and gear. This specialized equipment proved vital when crews were deployed to battle the destructive wildfire in nearby Pine Valley.

For Schmidt, his most recent donation is a culmination of a lifelong commitment to philanthropy. At age 46, he sold his software company, a move he said enabled him to pivot toward a second act focused on giving.

In 2005, Schmidt set up the Geoffrey Schmidt Foundation and estimates he donated roughly $2 million or more to an array of causes, ranging from Greenpeace and the Institute for Justice to sanitation and water infrastructure projects in Nepal and Rwanda.

“I’ve been donating money all over the world, but I’ve never been able to go to all the places I’ve been giving money,” the donor said. “So now I’m giving closer to my home in Ivins, to help out and see the benefits of my donations.”

Flying under the radar

All of Schimdt’s local donations, including his most recent pledge, were made anonymously. Ivins city officials said they finally were able to persuade him to allow them to divulge his identity. For his part, Schmidt said he prefers flying under the radar and draws the line when he can at having his picture in print.

“He is an awesome guy who is very soft-spoken and tends to direct attention away from himself rather than wave his arms and say, ‘Look at me and what I am doing,’” Hart said.

Fire Chief Dan Cazier is elated at the prospect of having an expanded and upgraded station, which will support Santa Clara’s current headquarters. Ivins current station was built with volunteer labor in 1974 and was enlarged in 1986 to 9,200 square feet.

The revamped 19,100 square-foot Center Street station, according to Cazier, will feature larger, drive-through bays that can accommodate full-size fire engines and ladder trucks, eliminating the need to back rigs into the building.

Inside, the station will expand from two bunk rooms to 10, allowing Ivins–Santa Clara to move from a two-person crew to an engine and ambulance staffed around the clock, with capacity to grow to larger crews over time. The project is also expected to add a space for police investigations, according to Cazier.

Schmidt’s donation for the station is contingent upon the cities finding funding for the remaining $3 million. Ivins officials are confident they can raise the balance by obtaining state and federal public safety grants and through impact fees paid by developers.

In addition, Ivins Council member Sharon Gillespie is leading a community fundraising effort to get more private donations. To encourage would-be donors, Schmidt asks them to take a walk.

“If they walk through the existing station like I did,” he said, “they will know in an instant why we need to make it a better place. It’s old, dingy and dark, and it smells old. … I wouldn’t want to work there.”

Hart said the goal is to have the money in place to start construction in 2027.