Callander’s fire chief, Todd Daley, is calling on council to consider replacing the current fire hall at 250 Main Street, next door to the municipal office.
“The current Fire Hall has reached the end of its useful life, is undersized under current legislation and standards, and presents ongoing health, safety, and operational challenges,” the chief said in a report to council in late January.
The municipality has been aware of the issues since a 2005 facility report, Daley emphasized, and he wants the replacement of the building to remain a priority. He suggested that once the new operations building is complete, which could be done by the end of 2026, the focus turns to building a new firehall.
Where this new building will be, what it will look like, and how much it will cost are all unknowns, but the chief wants council to ensure this project remains a municipal priority. In 2021, town council suggested the new fire hall could be constructed on Callander Bay Drive, near Swale Street, across the highway kitty-corner from the Community Centre.
Council agreed upon its importance to the community, and Mayor Jordy Carr said, “We need to get this done. If we can put our heads together and figure it out, and hopefully there’s some funding out there.”
Chief Daley’s report emphasized there are some health and safety concerns with the current building. Space is an issue, and firefighters must change into their gear within two feet of the fire trucks, which creates the risk of being struck by a moving vehicle. The firefighter’s gear is also stored close to the trucks, which exposes them to diesel exhaust.
There is no dedicated space to decontaminate bunker gear or hoses after fires, and the facility has only one shower, one sink, and one toilet for 26 members. There is no women’s washroom, despite having female volunteer firefighters.
The doors are also too narrow by today’s standards. The bay doors are 12 feet wide, but the chief explained, “Modern fire apparatus requires a minimum of 14-foot doors. With mirrors, trucks have only approximately one foot of clearance on either side.”
Ideally, those bays would also be drive-through, which would reduce risk and improve response times. With two existing bays, the vehicles are stacked. “Certain responses require moving multiple vehicles before the correct apparatus can be deployed, delaying response,” Chief Daley said.
Plus, there are only 6 to 8 spaces for firefighters to park on site.
Chief Daley concluded, “Staff recommends that, once the Operations Building is completed, Council move forward with the planning, design, and construction of a new Fire Hall as the next major municipal infrastructure priority.”
The issue will return to council.