A unique joint fire hall and ambulance station will be built in Richmond through an innovative agreement between the City of Richmond and BC Emergency Health Services.
In addition to fire protection services, Richmond’s new Fire Hall No. 3 will include additional space to house BC Ambulance Service’s Station 250 when it opens in early 2017. While similar arrangements exist in some rural communities, this is the first time in British Columbia that fire and ambulance services have been housed in the same facility in a major urban centre. The joint facility will also provide for increased collaboration between the two first responder agencies.
The $20.74 million facility will be built on a 0.6-hectare (1.5 acre) site at No. 4 Road and Cambie Road in Richmond. It will be built to LEED Gold and post-disaster construction standards. The 2,415 square metre (26,000 square foot) facility will also become the principal training centre for Richmond Fire Rescue and house its emergency vehicle technicians.
The City of Richmond has signed a 20-year lease with BC Emergency Health Services. Locating the two agencies in a single purpose-built facility and co-sharing of some common spaces provides a number of financial efficiencies. In addition, it provides the potential for joint training activities and will help further strengthen collaboration and the working relationship between our two agencies and members.
“Community safety is the top priority of Richmond Council,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “This innovative approach will create opportunities for two of our most critical emergency response agencies to work more closely together, which will improve community safety. It will also provide savings for taxpayers.”
“Richmond residents will have even better emergency services with the new joint fire hall and ambulance station,” said Richmond East MLA Linda Reid. “I want to thank the City of Richmond and BC Emergency Health Services for working together get this facility moving forward.”
“The location of this new joint facility will allow for both Richmond firefighters and BC Ambulance Service paramedics to serve the community of Richmond with effective response to emergencies,” said BC Ambulance Service Executive Director of Metro Operations Peter Thorpe. “Having a purpose-built facility ensures the building accommodates the unique needs of emergency services so our crews can deliver excellent care to those in need.”
