The District of Squamish has endorsed in principle plans to build a new fire hall, administration offices and emergency operations centre (EOC) on the site of the existing Alex Munro Fire Hall No. 1 on Clarke Drive at Highway 99.
According to the DOS, some of the benefits and efficiencies of this plan include:
· Ability to locate the administrative function of the Fire Department and EOC out of the flood plain, which is a recommendation of the Integrated Flood Hazard Management Plan.
· Improved proximity to Downtown for the ladder truck to better access the community’s tallest buildings.
· New fire hall buildings can incorporate industry best practices from a health standard to work towards addressing fire fighters’ risk of incidences of cancer. Such best practices include commercial grade washing machines, decontamination washroom and an environmentally controlled room for gear storage.
· Efficient use of District-owned land as the Clarke Drive property is ample-sized to house a larger hall, administrative space and an EOC.
· Avoids the need to purchase new property which is expected to offset the rebuild of the smaller Tantalus Hall and the building of temporary structures during the work.
Construction could begin on the Clarke Drive Hall in late 2020, and be ready for occupancy in 2022. Construction could begin at the Tantalus Road Hall once the Clarke Drive Hall is complete and staff have moved over.
“Without a doubt, the Tantalus Fire Hall is our top priority and so Council is very pleased to see this move forward,” said Mayor Karen Elliott
The District will issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the design of the new main hall on Clarke Drive. The 2019-2023 Financial Plan allocates $600,000 in 2019 for design for the replacement of the main Fire Hall.
Deb McBride says
Under the power lines… the original objection, byelection, 1995
Joy Boulier says
I’m all for a new fire Hall and it is long over due, but anyone living outside the downtown area, like Garibaldi Estates, Highlands, Brackendale, the response time now will be way longer. The new firehall really should be in the middle of everything so it is easy to access everywhere in the town. I think a little more thought needs to go into location.