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Nanaimo still awaiting Fire Station #6


ANOTHER ONE!  Wednesday October 30th a house caught on fire on Burma Road, off of Lost Lake Road.

This fire once again is proof that we need that fire station built out by Pipers area of Hammond Bay.

This fire is outside the 6 minute response time from our existing fire stations.


I have been a champion behind getting a new fire hall built for quite a few years.
A new Stevenson Point / Morningside area #6 fire station is required in our city NOW!

For the reasoning of having to hire more staff, some members of our previous council have been against a new location for a much-needed fire station for TEN years.. The existing  Council needs to move forward on building this much needed station.  Over the years the location has changed from Hammond Bay & Nottingham to Hammond Bay & Morningside.


Nanaimo must ensure that the residents  of Hammond Bay get the proper level of service that they pay for. Sadly, the cost factor weighed too heavily for some members of the previous councils. This needs to change.

The City of Nanaimo benefits from the tax dollars gathered by those living beyond the Departure Bay Road - Hammond Bay Road area out to Hammond Bay - Fillinger Crescent Area but fail to give them fire service they rightly deserve.

Recently we drove along Glen Oaks Drive and were amazed at the houses up there along with the price tags attached. $450,000 plus with no view, but the worst hill climb for snowy days (yes, we only get a few but this is a dead end road, the last ones to get cleared).

"The city’s standard to respond to emergency calls is six minutes, allowing it to fight fires, limit property damage and increase the chances of survival for cardiac arrests. Trucks, however, were only able to meet that response time for 31.83 per cent of 340 incidents that happened in Hammond Bay between 2011-13." (Nanaimo News Bulletin: Aug 27, 2015)

For houses located on the top reaches of Glen Oaks drive, it is 8.2 Kms to the Uplands fire station or 7.6km to Dorman Road fire station. I do not know the timing but is it not 6 minutes.

The map above shows the areas with 6 minute response time. 



BACKGROUND: At its meeting held 2009-NOV-16, Nanaimo City Council requested a staff report on the option of delaying the planning, construction and staffing of the proposed new Fire Station No.6 (Hammond Bay at Nottingham) to service the Hammond Bay region of the City. The current plan calls for planning and design to commence in 2010 with full 24/7 staffing to be completed by 2014. The construction of this station is to be funded from borrowing authorized by an alternate approval process or a referendum. Fire Station No. 6 also includes the incremental hiring of 20 additional fire fighters over the implementation period. This station is a critical phase in improving response time within its geographical area as well as improving the overall response performance toward the six minutes, 90 percent of the time target. In addition to improved 'first due' coverage, it will also provide an additional resource for multiple unit responses providing sufficient staff and resource concentration for larger incidents throughout the City. This phase of the plan provides enough response units available to service the risks associated with a large and growing population. Costs for Station No.6 in budget years 2010 and 2011 are $150,000 which primarily are design fees. Borrowing is scheduled to take place in 2012 of $2.4 million followed by operating increases of $780,000 in 2013 and an additional $700,000 in 2014. Delaying the station for one or two years would move design and staffing costs beyond these years. 

MINUTES OF THAT MEETING
Fire Services Plan It was moved and seconded that Council delay the design, construction, and staffing of Fire Station No. 6 by two years (2012 design, 2014 construction, 2015 commence staffing, and 2016 complete staffing). The motion carried. Opposed: Councillors Bestwick, Johnstone, and Kipp.
Present and in favour of the motion were Mayor Ruttan along with Councillors Holdom, McNabb, Pattje, Sherry and Unger.


 

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