The City of Charlottetown isn’t ruling out operating three fire stations.
For almost the past two decades, the city has been trying to get a new fire station off the ground to serve the Winsloe/West Royalty region, buying land last year for that purpose.
The intent all along has been that Station 1 on Kent Street would remain open, but that the new fire station would replace Station 2 in the neighbourhood of Sherwood.
Now, the city is working with an outside consultant – the Fire Underwriters Survey, a national organization that specializes in this work – to take another look at its fire operations after a report released in 2007 recommended operating two stations, one on Kent Street and one in the northern section of the city (West Royalty).
Last year, the city paid $870,000 to purchase a 4.5-acre property on Malpeque Road where it will build a new fire hall that will serve the Winsloe, West Royalty and West Royalty Industrial Park areas. The fire station will have access on to both Malpeque Road and Sherwood Road.
That plan is still going ahead. The question now is whether the city can or will operate three fire stations.
Kevin Ramsay, chairman of the advanced planning, priorities and special projects committee, said the consultant is tasked with reviewing and analyzing current service levels being provided by the fire service, which includes things like response times, non-emergency response and mutual aid agreements.
“As elected officials, I believe we should be working on keeping essential services open ... To close Station 2 and have no fire protection for that side of the city doesn’t make any sense to me.’’
-Coun. Terry Bernard
It is also looking at the costs and effectiveness and/or efficiencies of the city having two fire stations versus three. And, it will examine apparatus availability, adequacy and maintenance, current dispatch method and equipment.
“We, as a council, are waiting for a report that will give us some more details on how to move forward,’’ Ramsay said. “We’re hoping to get this report by the end of March. Council won’t be making any decisions until they have this report.’’
Coun. Terry Bernard, who represents the residents in the Station 2 coverage area, has been fighting all along to have Station 2 remain open, bringing it up again at council’s monthly meeting on Monday night.
Station 2 operates with a complement of 38 firefighters.
Bernard said closing Station 2 would affect response times in Sherwood, pointing out that time is of the essence when “it takes 31 seconds to be overcome by smoke’’.
“As elected officials, I believe we should be working on keeping essential services open,’’ Bernard said, adding that his residents have been waiting more than eight months for an answer.
“To close Station 2 and have no fire protection for that side of the city doesn’t make any sense to me.’’
As for the cost, Ramsay said the current Station 2 building is leased from the province for $1 a year and that operational costs are about $88,000 annually for lights and water. Other costs, such as staffing, bring the bill up to $300,000 or $400,000, so that gives the city something to think about when it comes to operating a third station.
Ramsay said factors such as the size of the new station will be considered and whether it would operate as a satellite station or a full operating station.