Post-Disaster Standard
The proposed new main firehall will be built to withstand 1.5 times the seismic force of a regular building. It will also serve as the Emergency Operations Centre for the District. The building’s post-disaster design will ensure that the District’s facility and emergency equipment survive a major earthquake, in order to be available for life-saving services and for assisting in disaster response and recovery efforts.
Special Features
Training opportunities for the District’s volunteers will be significantly improved. The new facility features important training facilities not available in the District at present, including a gas training pad, a pumper test area and a four-storey training tower. The facility will also retain and reuse water on site. Site improvements will address drainage issues. This will be a benefit for neighbouring properties as well.
Environmentally Responsible Design Features
The new building will be built to minimum LEED Canada Silver Certification environmental standards, which, in addition to advancing sustainability goals, offers tangible economic benefits to the District, such as:
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Reduced operational budgets |
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Support for regional resources, renewable energy providers and sustainable practices |
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Enhanced eligibility for government grants. |
The goal for the building is to be 70 per cent more efficient than the model national energy code. Some of the efficiency goals are high-efficiency fixtures (plumbing and lighting), high performance envelope, solar and geothermal features, rainwater collection capability, exposed structure design and use of wood, and minimized night sky light trespass features.
In addition to the building, the site and site amenities will be developed in an environmentally responsible manner, including:
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Limit site disturbance and keep or restore green space |
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Limit heat gain by using light coloured site surfaces such as concrete and pavers |
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Shade the building and paved surfaces by using natural vegetation such as trees |
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Drought tolerant regional landscape material |
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Reduce light pollution by employing task-specific site lighting |
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Capture rainwater through water collection system and re-use it |
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Employ renewable energy options, such as solar and geothermal heat pumps. |
Traffic Safety
In response to public concerns about traffic safety, the new firehall design incorporates several measures to warn traffic when emergency vehicles exit the building, including:
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Transponders in emergency vehicles will allow them to pre-empt traffic signals at critical intersections to ensure that response time is optimal |
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Warning signs, with flashing amber lights at the firehall access to notify drivers that fire vehicles are responding to an emergency call |
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The roadway in front of the firehall will be marked with “Do not Block Fire Access” stamped on it. |
In addition, the access driveway is located on the eastern side of the property, away from the intersection.
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