The proposed new fire hall is not extravagant or state of the art. It is safe, solid, and functional, and it won’t raise taxes by that much. The firefighters are in favour of the referendum on December 9th because it meets the needs of firefighters and our community in the most practical and cost-effective way.
None of the requirements on which the referendum is based is cosmetic:
- We need enough space for adequate decontamination to keep healthy over the long term.
- We need more than one shower and enough washroom space for decontamination.
- We need adequate ventilation/air exchange in the apparatus bays.
- We need effective separation between contaminated and non-contaminated areas of the building.
- We need training rooms with enough seating to accommodate 40+ volunteers.
- We need enough space for the training rooms to flexibly serve as an Emergency Operations Centre.
- We need a meeting room that can also serve as an Incident Command Centre.
- We need a small health and wellness room (gym) that volunteers can use to further decontaminate, anytime day or night, to push carcinogens out of our bodies.
- We need dorm space for the work experience program and BC Ambulance Service who provide 24-hour protective service to our community.
- We need a kitchen and eating area for these same people.
- We need adequate on-site parking for volunteers responding to an incident, keeping response times fast.
- We need a building that meets post-disaster building standards.
The new fire hall is only 5,000 sq ft larger than the existing space while meeting all of these requirements. (The existing space is 11,500 sq ft, including the ambulance station, and the proposed fire hall is 16,500 sq ft.) After these requirements, there is no room for any frills, in the building or in the budget. The design is tailor-made to the needs and resources of our community.
The proposed location is good. Of the four that were considered, the chosen location received the most public support, for good reason: It is both the most cost-effective and the best at keeping response times fast.
If we agree that the health and safety of firefighters cannot be ignored and that the most practical and cost-effective remedy is building a new fire hall, then voting YES on December 9th will make that happen, without wasting money.
On behalf of the Creston Firefighters Society,
Jack Bates, President