City’s firehall shuffle complete

By Collin Gallant on October 12, 2018.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com @CollinGallant

Dignitaries cut the ribbon at the new No. 1 fire station on Thursday, and at the same time put a bow on the six-year plan to relocate two facilities to improve response times without adding operating costs.

The station, at 401 Parkview Dr. near the intersection with Altawana Drive, is only blocks north of the former Maple Avenue location, but on the other side of the South Saskatchewan River. Fire department analysts say it gives crews a faster route to the north edge of the city.

Budget analysts have long said it, coupled with a similar move of Station No. 2 in 2017, adds about $7 million in one-time capital spending compared to an original plan to build an additional station in the deep south, but avoids an extra $3 million in annual operating expense.

Everyone on Thursday said they were happy the process is complete.

“It’s the culmination of a 10-year process of planning and being cognizant of response times,” said Coun. Julie Friesen, the chair of council’s public services committee.

“It’s an enormous savings of money and realizes the ultimate goal of improving response times and protecting public safety.”

Fire services officials say they are now able to reach almost the entire city within a six-minute-20-second response time, especially in north-end communities, without adding time on to dispatches to the centre of the city.

That was the compromise plan created in 2012 when the fire service masterplan called for a new station to cover the growing south end, but councillors questioned costs and why the north end was being ignored.

Moving two stations further out from the city centre, near major intersections, could improve response times without the planned construction of a fourth station in the south end.

The $8.25-million building in Riverside opened for operations in early September. The Trans-Canada Way station, priced at $7.2 million, was opened in 2017. Provincial grants covered substantial portions of both budgets.

Fire Chief Brian Stauth said with the plan complete, the service’s capital plan is generally complete until more substantial development takes place in the city, at which time coverage will be reassessed.

“Moving a fire station from one location to another is a major undertaking,” he said. “I’m proud of how our staff made this happen.”

Mayor Ted Clugston also said spending on fire protection is a key priority for the city as well as the public.

“When 911 calls come in, the first thing that’s said is ‘please hurry,'” the mayor said. “It’s the most desperate moment of their lives.”

Dignitaries like local MLA Drew Barnes thanked the firefighters in attendance for their service to the community and congratulated the city on cost savings.

A statement from MLA Bob Wanner, who is in Edmonton preparing for the fall sitting of the legislature, said locating a firehall in the north end of town had been a goal of the city when he was public service commissioner in the late 1990s.

For sale

Expect a “for sale” sign to be going up soon on the now vacant fire station on Maple Avenue, Mayor Ted Clugston told reporters at the opening of the new Fire Station No. 1.

“We won’t be keeping it for municipal purposes, I’ll tell you that,” he said.

Officials say the process is more complicated than that, but after going through the official process, putting the building up for sale is the general plan, which in 2013 was accepted as using the sale proceeds of two older stations to pay part of relocating to new facilities.

“We’ve seen a degree of interest already, but we’ll put it through the regular process,” said development commissioner Stan Schwartzenberger, adding he’s “optimistic” the commercial real estate market is strengthening.

Crews moved out of the Maple Avenue building in September, and the administration office there moved to the Trans-Canada Way station in 2017. Maple Avenue is the base of some workers in the city’s health, safety and environment office. Those employees are scheduled to be moved to a renovated building across from city hall that the city used to lease to Canada Post for its downtown office.

Selling the city’s other vacant station, on Dunmore Road, was a challenge. Marketed several times with some interest but no official offers, negotiations with one party resulted in a $590,000 closing price.

The redeveloped 5,200 square-foot office and garage is now redeveloped and operating as three commercial bays, including a jewelry store, restaurant and barber shop.

A potential sale price for the Maple Avenue building will be developed along with the marketing plan by the city’s land office, said Schwartzenberger.

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