Fire station moves ahead

By Dan Hilborn
Published June 14, 2006


A new $8.3-million, energy-efficient Fire Station 7 will be built at the corner of Gilmore Avenue and Norfolk Street after city council approved a preliminary design and project budget on Monday night.

The new fire hall has been on the drawing board for more than 10 years and is intended to improve fire service on the west side of town, around Burnaby Hospital. Construction is scheduled to start next year.

Described as a 'post-disaster three-bay drive-through,' the new hall will accommodate 16 firefighters and may include such green features as stormwater management and treatment, use of non-potable (grey) water for toilets and truck-washing, low-water-consumption fixtures and an alternate roof system that reduces heat gain.

If approved, those extra environmental features would cost about $209,000 and give the new fire hall a silver certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design guidelines. Council has directed the consultants on the project to investigate whether grant money is available to cover the costs of those extra features.

The budget also includes more than $1 million for contingencies, another $834,184 for off-site construction and $517,000 for consulting fees.

In a separate report, council also agreed to spend $160,500 on a new emergency generator for Fire Station 3, on Marlborough Avenue near Metrotown. The new generator will be able to provide 100 per cent of the station's power needs, compared to the current generator's capacity of only 50 per cent, said a report to council.