In April 2017, a business case analysis was completed. It looked at renovation vs. replacement and recommended construction of a new Fire Station on the site of the existing building. In May of 2018, elector borrowing approval was received through an Alternate Approval Process (Bylaw No. 7257), and design began later in 2018.
The existing fire station was built in 1967 and has a number of deficiencies and deterioration which have major impacts to station operations including:
- In case of a major earthquake, the building would allow safe exit for occupants, but would no longer functional. It needs to function as the emergency coordination centre and 911 Dispatch centre through emergencies.
- Ironically, there are no sprinklers or fire alarms.
- There are not enough fire exits.
- The building isn’t fully ventilated, making working conditions challenging.
- The heating system (boiler) is in urgent need of replacement.
- Electrical wiring is past its useful life.
- The roof needs urgent replacement.
- The building is not accessible for all.
- The hose tower is structurally unsafe.
While a major renovation was one of the options, the building would still need to be rebuilt within 10 years.
Also, the cost to fix all the problems listed would be higher than building a new station.
Delaying reconstruction of a new station would lead to higher risk to firefighter and community safety and higher costs over the life of the building.
Through extensive review, rebuilding the station now proved to be the best value.