City councillors voted unanimously Monday to delay a rebuild of fire hall No. 1 for another two years.
Sitting as a finance committee and reviewing next year’s capital budget, councillors postponed the replacement of the aging structure and its $6-million price tag.
The construction was originally planned for 2009, but has been moved back before as a cost-saving measure. Unless council makes further changes at budget time, design work will begin in 2014 at an estimated cost of $500,000, with construction starting the following year at a cost of $5.6 million.
Mayor Nolan Crouse, who proposed the delay, said the city has already invested in the fire services over the last few years, and with a crowded capital budget he believes this project can wait.
“We have just completed fire hall No. 3 over four years ago. We have just spent money renovating [fire hall] No. 1. Our data is showing response [times are] within our requirement, nothing imminent, nothing urgent,” he said. “It is really the blend of many reasons that everyone saw.”
The fire hall on Sir Winston Churchill Avenue was built in 1962 and has a number of problems that led to the recommendation to replace the structure. Those issues include equipment bays that are not large enough to accommodate the department’s modern, larger fire trucks.
It also has an outdated exhaust system, which means firefighters are exposed to diesel fumes. Fire Chief Ray Richards said that poses a long-term health risk for firefighters.
“Diesel is particularly bad and has been known as a carcinogen for many, many years, so within the fire service they have these exhaust extraction systems.”
The city’s other halls include modern exhaust systems that connect directly to the truck’s tailpipes, but similar systems won’t fit in the older hall.
In the briefing note to council, the fire department also identified a problem with dispatching larger equipment. The department aerial unit is currently located at fire hall No. 3, because it won’t fit in fire hall No. 1.
The department is meeting its goal of responding to calls within nine minutes, 90 per cent of the time. But the department is unable to meet another benchmark designed at having all necessary equipment for a fire on scene in 12 minutes.
Since the aerial truck is stationed in the north end of the city, the fire department’s model shows it can’t reach most of the city south of the Sturgeon River in that timeframe.
“It impacts getting the right equipment, the right number of people to the fire scene in the proper amount of time,” said Richards.
Coun. Wes Brodhead said he was concerned about the provocative nature of the language in the briefing note. If the diesel issue was a pressing concern he is unsure why it hasn’t been acted on already, he said.
Brodhead believes the hall needs attention, but the city has a lot to do and not enough capital dollars to spend.
“It got down to a priority. I don’t want to diminish what is required in the fire department —don’t get me wrong it is a matter of priority.”
In 2010, the department spent $150,000 on some renovations, but Richards said it was during that time they realized there was no easy fix to the exhaust issue.
Crouse said he is concerned about the response time for the aerial truck, but also emphasized there are many projects vying for dollars the capital budget.
“I am saying that for $5.5 or $6 million we are adequately serving the community on average, and for now that is OK.”
The mayor added he also has doubts about whether tearing the building down is the right solution. The city should look to preserve older structures and not only build new ones, he said.
“I am not one to tear down buildings just to just tear down buildings and make new.”
