Fire Hall Replacement

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The Fernie Fire and Emergency Services Department provides an essential service, ensuring the safety and well-being of the community. The first Fernie Fire Department was established in 1904 with a contingent of 100% volunteer members. Since that time, the department has grown to include over 40 paid on call members, a full time Fire Chief, a Deputy Chief, and eight full-time career firefighters. The current Fernie Fire & Emergency Services Department (FFESD) responds to over 400 emergency calls per year and serves over 10,000 residents in the City of Fernie and surrounding areas.

Background

From 1979 to 2022 the Fire and Emergency Services department operated out of fire hall located at 692 3rd Ave. The building, originally designed in 1970 as a automotive service garage, was decommissioned due to significant issues with the facility structure and function and the inability of the site and structure to meet current requirements for a fire hall. The Fire Department has been temporarily relocated to operate out of the City's old Public Works office, adjacent to the Operations Facility at 1492b Railway Ave. A leased Atco trailer is onsite to house turnout gear, and the Operations Facility is utilized for fleet storage.The City of Fernie is now looking to build a new multi-generational purpose-built fire hall to serve the community for the next 50+ years, and also Fernie Fire and Emergency Services to continue providing effective response.

Site Selected: 1500 5th Ave.

On January 23rd at the Regular Council Meeting, Council selected 1500 5th Ave (a portion of Prentice Park) as the site for the City's replacement Fire Hall. This site was chosen as the preferred location as it provides a number of advantages including opportunities for co-use partnerships, adaptability for further growth, and a flexible site layout.

Advancing the Project:

On September 10, 2023, Council voted to move forward the Fire Hall Project based on the final conceptual design for a purpose-built, needs-based facility that will meet the fire and emergency response requirements of our community. The price tag for a new Fire Hall designed to meet our specific needs, and taking into consideration our location, has a high-level cost-estimate of approximately $20million.

What's Next?

As we work towards a new operational Fire Hall here is an overview of next steps:

  • Choosing the right type of delivery method so we can get to a more certain cost (the initial price tag is based on a Class-D Cost estimate that will be refined as we move through the detailed design process.)
  • To fund the project we’ll be looking at a combination of borrowing, reserves, contributions from regional partners, exploring other funding streams, and potential disposition of City-owned properties. We’re be doing required analysis and appraisals on City lands that could be considered for sale.
  • In order to borrow the money needed to build a new fire hall we’ll need to go to referendum to get the approval of City of Fernie residents and property owners. In the meantime,

Opportunities to Get Involved

Previous site selection studies have been completed however, this is the first time the City has put out a public call for partners, and provided an opportunity for public input, to ensure a transparent and inclusive analysis of all current opportunities.

The planning process to select the new site for the fire hall has offered multiple opportunities for community involvement:

  • A Request for Expression of Interest was issued to explore opportunities for facility co-use partnerships, or potential private sites for the fire hall. CLOSED August 25, 2023.
  • A Community Working Group (CWG) was formed with diverse community voices to provide guidance to the City's Project Team. Volunteer OpportunityCLOSEDAugust 11, 2023.
  • We hosted a Public Open House on October 26, and an online Engagement Survey. CLOSED midnight November 6, 2023.

Check back here for opportunities to participate in the process.

The Fernie Fire and Emergency Services Department provides an essential service, ensuring the safety and well-being of the community. The first Fernie Fire Department was established in 1904 with a contingent of 100% volunteer members. Since that time, the department has grown to include over 40 paid on call members, a full time Fire Chief, a Deputy Chief, and eight full-time career firefighters. The current Fernie Fire & Emergency Services Department (FFESD) responds to over 400 emergency calls per year and serves over 10,000 residents in the City of Fernie and surrounding areas.

Background

From 1979 to 2022 the Fire and Emergency Services department operated out of fire hall located at 692 3rd Ave. The building, originally designed in 1970 as a automotive service garage, was decommissioned due to significant issues with the facility structure and function and the inability of the site and structure to meet current requirements for a fire hall. The Fire Department has been temporarily relocated to operate out of the City's old Public Works office, adjacent to the Operations Facility at 1492b Railway Ave. A leased Atco trailer is onsite to house turnout gear, and the Operations Facility is utilized for fleet storage.The City of Fernie is now looking to build a new multi-generational purpose-built fire hall to serve the community for the next 50+ years, and also Fernie Fire and Emergency Services to continue providing effective response.

Site Selected: 1500 5th Ave.

On January 23rd at the Regular Council Meeting, Council selected 1500 5th Ave (a portion of Prentice Park) as the site for the City's replacement Fire Hall. This site was chosen as the preferred location as it provides a number of advantages including opportunities for co-use partnerships, adaptability for further growth, and a flexible site layout.

Advancing the Project:

On September 10, 2023, Council voted to move forward the Fire Hall Project based on the final conceptual design for a purpose-built, needs-based facility that will meet the fire and emergency response requirements of our community. The price tag for a new Fire Hall designed to meet our specific needs, and taking into consideration our location, has a high-level cost-estimate of approximately $20million.

What's Next?

As we work towards a new operational Fire Hall here is an overview of next steps:

  • Choosing the right type of delivery method so we can get to a more certain cost (the initial price tag is based on a Class-D Cost estimate that will be refined as we move through the detailed design process.)
  • To fund the project we’ll be looking at a combination of borrowing, reserves, contributions from regional partners, exploring other funding streams, and potential disposition of City-owned properties. We’re be doing required analysis and appraisals on City lands that could be considered for sale.
  • In order to borrow the money needed to build a new fire hall we’ll need to go to referendum to get the approval of City of Fernie residents and property owners. In the meantime,

Opportunities to Get Involved

Previous site selection studies have been completed however, this is the first time the City has put out a public call for partners, and provided an opportunity for public input, to ensure a transparent and inclusive analysis of all current opportunities.

The planning process to select the new site for the fire hall has offered multiple opportunities for community involvement:

  • A Request for Expression of Interest was issued to explore opportunities for facility co-use partnerships, or potential private sites for the fire hall. CLOSED August 25, 2023.
  • A Community Working Group (CWG) was formed with diverse community voices to provide guidance to the City's Project Team. Volunteer OpportunityCLOSEDAugust 11, 2023.
  • We hosted a Public Open House on October 26, and an online Engagement Survey. CLOSED midnight November 6, 2023.

Check back here for opportunities to participate in the process.

Page last updated: 10 Oct 2024, 03:01 PM