Big changes are coming for one of the Kennebecasis Valley Fire Department’s two fire stations.
The department recently bought the Quispamsis Civic Centre, where Fire Station No. 2 is also located.
Outgoing Fire Chief Bill Ireland said the two-storey building on Municipal Drive will be renovated to become solely the fire station.
“The intention with our renovation is to convert what was the community centre upstairs into the living quarters and training area for the on-duty firefighters,” Ireland said in a recent interview.
A one-storey addition will also be built onto the rear of the existing building to serve as a third vehicle bay, he said. It will also include a drying tower for their fire hoses.
Renovations to the existing main floor include demolishing and replacing the existing concrete floor, along with adding a fitness area/gym and office space.
Ireland said they are excited to begin work on the “long overdue” plan, which he said has been about a decade in the making.
“It is significantly smaller than Station No. 1 in Rothesay,” he said of the existing space. “It was never designed, I think, nor intended that four firefighters working 24 hours a day would be sharing that space.”
The ongoing pandemic has also made it difficult to navigate the “tight quarters,” he said.
Ireland said the project will also address a number of “deficiencies,” including a lack of dedicated washroom facilities for female employees, and inadequate decontamination areas.
Quispamsis and Rothesay recently submitted separate applications to the Municipal Capital Borrowing Board for permission to borrow money for the project.
The estimated price tag is just over $3 million. Quispamsis would cover nearly 60 per cent of the costs — about $1.8 million — while Rothesay would pay for the rest.
Architectural plans are completed and ready to go to tender once the applications are approved, said Ireland. He anticipates the project will take about one year to complete once the tender is awarded.
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