Sudbury can’t maintain all 24 fire, paramedic stations, report concludes
A review of Greater Sudbury’s 24 fire and paramedic stations has concluded that many of them should be consolidated, a move that wouldn’t affect service levels or lead to layoffs.
That’s the conclusion of a review by a group called Operational Research in Health (ORH) Ltd., which was tasked to review the current situation and determine “the ideal number and location of emergency service stations.”
If all the report’s recommendations were followed, the number of fire and paramedic stations would drop to 13. While buildings would close, the report said no changes to staffing are recommended.
Reviewing fire stations has been controversial in the past in the past in the city, with some areas concerned about the loss of volunteer stations.
A controversial report in 2017 recommended the city hire dozens of new full-time firefighters to equalize response times, but it sparked a huge outcry and was ultimately dropped.
The driving force behind the review is the fact many of the buildings are close to or past their life cycle and repairing or replacing them would cost as much as $43 million over the next decade.
The current review found that nine out of the 24 fire and paramedic stations are ideally located to provide emergency response to the areas they serve.
“Four fire and paramedic stations have the potential to be relocated to provide an overall improved response,” the report said.
“The remaining 11 fire and paramedic stations could be consolidated with minimal impact to response.”
While not supporting all recommendations, city staff said they generally support the plan. Specifically, they opposed consolidating the Chelmsford and Azilda fire stations, because both buildings are in decent shape and such a move would impact response times in Azilda.
“Staff recognize, based on expressed community priorities and known capital investment needs, sustaining 24 fire and paramedic stations is neither practical nor required,” the report said.
“The ORH report describes how the corporation can reduce its asset footprint without impairing service or staffing levels required for meeting council’s service level expectations.”
Most recommendations involve volunteer fire stations, but the report recommends a career station located in Minnow Lake be moved closer to Kingsway Boulevard Falconbridge Road.
“Staff are supportive of the recommendation to relocate Minnow Lake,” the report said.
“This relocation has the potential to benefit response times for both fire and paramedic services.”
For volunteer fire stations, the report recommended the Capreol, Levack, Dowling, Whitefish and Chelmsford Stations should remain where they are.
But several other stations could be combined into one without harming overall response. Those stations are:
- Consolidate Skead and Falconbridge into ideal site for Garson;
- Consolidate Val Caron and Hanmer at current site in Val Thérèse;
- Consolidate Vermilion Lake into Dowling;
- Consolidate Beaver Lake into Whitefish;
- Consolidate Wahnapitae and Coniston at ideal site;
- Consolidate Waters, Lively and Copper Cliff at Anderson Drive; and,
- Consolidate Azilda at Chelmsford.
The report also recommends consolidating the paramedic and fire station in Capreol into one building, since it “would reduce operating costs without impacting staff and response times.”
The review heads to city council Dec. 13. Read the full report here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Denial and uncertainty are looming over a Biden-Trump rematch 6 months out from U.S. Election Day
Exactly six months before Election Day, Biden and Trump are locked in the first contest in 112 years with a current and former president competing for the White House. It's a race that is at once deeply entrenched and highly in flux as many voters are only just beginning to embrace the reality of the 2024 campaign.
Maple Leafs eliminated from NHL playoffs with Game 7 OT loss to Bruins
Sheldon Keefe told his players hockey history would remember them one way or another.
opinion You don't need to be an influencer to earn income from social media
How legitimate are claims by some content creators that the average person can earn passive income from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram? Personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says it's quite possible, if you're willing to put in the initial time and effort.
Should you save or splurge on makeup this summer?
If you're wondering whether you should splurge or save when it comes to buying skincare products and makeup this summer, we got some answers for you.
What a judge's gag order on Trump means in his hush money case
A gag order bars Trump from commenting publicly on witnesses, jurors and some others connected to the matter. The New York judge already has found that Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, repeatedly violated the order, fined him US$9,000 and warning that jail could follow if he doesn't comply.
Israel closes Gaza crossing after Hamas attack and vows military operation 'in the very near future'
Israel closed its main crossing point for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid for Gaza on Sunday after Hamas militants attacked it, reportedly wounding several Israelis, while the defense minister warned of "a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah and other places across all of Gaza."
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.