Planning for a new satellite fire hall at 220 Waters Place in East Courtenay is underway. Fire Hall #2 will be located on the site of the existing training grounds. The City purchased the 3.36-acre property in 2005 to serve as a future location of the second fire hall.
Courtenay is expected to grow by more than 4,500 residents, and 2,900 homes, by 2031. This location is at the heart of the expected growth and provides ample space for ongoing training and multiple trucks.
The new Official Community Plan envisions continuing growth in East Courtenay and designates this area as a primary growth center for the city. Fire Hall#2 will help the Fire Department meet current and future community needs.
Increased volunteer capacity
Currently, there are 50 on-call volunteer firefighters and 7 paid firefighters. The existing headquarters location limits the ability of many residents living in East Courtenay to be on-call volunteers. A second hall in East Courtenay will enable an increase in volunteer firefighters from 50 to 67, reducing response times to emergency incidents
Faster response time
The BC Building Code requires that buildings outside of a 10-minute fire response time, have additional fire suppression requirements. Insurance premiums are often higher for property owners outside of the 10-minute response time.
"Co-location” options
Options are being explored to identify whether the new building could help meet other community needs. Preliminary discussions with other emergency service providers and City Departments are underway. Due to the nature of the volunteer fire service model and parking and access constraints, only certain services are suitable to be co-located at this location.
Highest seismic standards
The new emergency services building will be constructed to post-disaster standards within the BC Building Code, ensuring the building is built to the highest seismic standards. The design will also comply with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, supporting the department’s commitment to ongoing training.