THUNDER BAY -- The city's fire department hopes council approves its plan to build a new fire station along West Frederica Street.
Officials with Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue will present their recommendation to council Monday to replace the more than 60-year-old Brown Street fire station with a new facility at 1710 West Frederica Street.
The new Westfort station is expected to increase response times in the area.
Superior North EMS will then use the former Brown Street station after being renovated.
The cost to relocate will be covered by a one-time capital funding of $7 million. That funding will also be used to reconstruct the Neebing fire station as well as creating four more EMS satellite stations.
Deputy Fire Chief Greg Hankkio said they selected the site based on mapping data presented to council during their report of the strategic fire master plan last year.
The area shows that it would improve response times in the area but would also be easier to maneuver the large fire trucks into the station compared to other sites, he said.
Fire and Rescue officials held public meetings before they presented their report to council, but Hankkio said that so far they haven’t received any concerns about putting the new station on Frederica.
“The feedback from residents was positive at that time,” he said.
“To date I haven’t received any negative feedback. We have eight fire stations that we respond out of. There will be no increase in staffing as a result of the relocation of the station. This relocation is strictly to enhance service and increase response times.”
Westfort Coun. Joe Virdiramo said he thought there was a way to combine both the Neebing and Brown Street stations into a larger facility that also incorporated EMS ambulances.
The reason for doing that he said was so the city would only have to maintain one building not three.
But after speaking with fire chief John Hay, he said the best option would be relocating to Frederica and keeping the Neebing station separate.
“If that’s the location that they are picking it is probably one that’s going to service the area with a better response time than before,” Virdiramo said.
“I’m sure the fire chief and company did their due diligence to pick that site. I hope it goes well and that there aren’t any complaints in relation to the residents in the area. I’m not convinced that we need two more fire halls. It appears to be a good site and we’ll see what happens when the proposal comes.”
With the additional sirens and noise, he added that he expected some residents will raise concerns when the time comes.
Council is also expected to receive reports and updates relating to the May floods. Those reports include a look at the Atlantic Avenue Sewage Treatment Plant, the water drainage study and the feasibility of improving drainage on Highgate Road.
