SASKATOON — The Saskatoon Fire Department last week broke ground for a state-of-the-art fire station along Preston Avenue, near 108th Street that will replace the 56-year-old Fire Station No. 5 currently located on Central Avenue in Sutherland.
The relocation comes as a result of a review of SFD’s operations in 2014 that led to the development of a new service model to improve the fire service’s travel times across the city. The model aims to ensure SFD’s delivery of services is done most effectively and efficiently possible as the city keeps an eye on the future and how to provide emergency response service to a city of half a million residents.
“The new location was selected to increase both safety and efficiency. Computer-generated mapping revealed that relocating Station No. 5 closer to the intersection of College Drive and Preston Avenue will put our fire service in a better position to meet the four-minute travel time set out by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and better utilize resources,” said Fire Chief Morgan Hackl.
With the relocation of Station No. 3 in 2018 and now Station No. 5, Hackl says a 10th fire station once earmarked for Stonebridge won’t be necessary — saving the city $6 million in construction costs and $3 million each year in operating costs.
Once fully commissioned, the 930 square metre, two-storey fire station will be equipped with two bays that will house one operational fire engine and another two reserve apparatus.
The station will be staffed with a fire crew consisting of up to two firefighter paramedics, two firefighters and one officer 24 hours per day. An additional two fire inspectors will also be present during daytime hours.
Another goal of the new Station No. 5 is to strengthen neighbourhood amenities for the wider community.
“As the city grows, our fire department has done important work to reorganize our fire stations. This helps ensure we can keep our growing neighbourhoods protected in a way that efficiently uses our resources over the long term. This new fire station is an example of that. The university has been a great partner in getting this built and we continue to work closely with the university community. This is a great day,” said Mayor Charlie Clark.
The building will be furnished with a shared cultural space intended for SFD initiatives, civic departments and the University of Saskatchewan. When available, the shared space will be open to public bookings for community groups.
“We are proud to continue to work in partnership with the city of Saskatoon on a wide variety of projects that help to serve and to give back to the vibrant community that we are all a part of,” said University of Saskatchewan President Peter Stoicheff.
“The establishment of this new fire station is the latest development in the successful co-operation and collaboration between the city and the university and reinforces our commitment to the community, including our Indigenous partners and friends. As we celebrate this important step forward for the city, it is important to recognize that this fire station will be located on Treaty 6 territory and the homeland of the Métis.”
The new station will be operational by the summer of 2023, at which time the current station on Central Avenue will be decommissioned.
For more information, visit saskatoon.ca/FireStation5.
