A Niagara Emergency Medical Services vehicle sits in front of Wainfleet Fire and Emergency Services station 2. A new spatial needs report outlines many of the features planned for a new centralized fire station. - Torstar file photo
Wainfleet is a step closer to having a modern new centrally-located fire station that will serve as a joint emergency services centre with Niagara’s paramedic service. Township council members received a new report from fire Chief Morgan Alcock on some of the features the new station will need to have.
The township, with four aging stations — most woefully inadequate to meet health and safety standards or even fit modern fire trucks — has had a series of studies done on the fire service for the last six years.
Alcock also brought forward a report at the Jan. 28 council meeting on options for what to do with the existing house and barn located on the property that the township purchased on Highway 3 in Chambers Corners for the new station and fire department headquarters. He said the separate “spatial needs” assessment was designed to provide an overall look at features it will need.
He noted that the Ontario Ministry of Labour found numerous deficiencies in the existing stations during inspections in 2016. For instance, stations lacked facilities to launder and dry bunker gear contaminated with dangerous chemicals after firefighters return from fighting a blaze, and there weren’t proper areas to protect oxygen tank-filling from contaminants.
The new station would have vented and separated areas for those tasks, as well as proper shower and decontamination areas.
“That way we’re not getting back into dirty gear, back into the cancer-causing chemicals and going back out, or we’re not bringing those chemicals home to our families,” Alcock said.
The Ministry of Labour didn’t issue orders for the township to take to address the health and safety issues during the last round of inspections because of the proposed new fire station, the chief said. But a business case report for the new station last year warned any further delay in the project could lead to another round of ministry inspections and subsequent orders being issued.
Coun. Sherri Van Vliet found it disturbing that volunteer firefighters can be forced to go home in bunker gear contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals because of the lack of proper decontamination capabilities at existing stations.
“My biggest concern is that we don’t have decontamination space,” she said. “I don’t like the fact that all these firefighters are going home in all this bunker gear and their kids are in their cars. This really hit home with me.”
Coun. Terry Gilmore said he was impressed by the new report’s depth and voiced a sense of relief that progress is finally being made on the path to a new station. “Now I sense we’re gaining some traction,” he said.
Link to original article on niagarathisweek.com: Spatial needs report envisions features of new Wainfleet fire station