The City of Red Deer celebrated the opening of Fire Station #4 at its new location in Timberlands this morning. The station, which has been in operation since last Tuesday, was completed early and under budget for about $7.5 million, according to Fire Chief Brian Makey.
"This actually was a design that was put together by our staff," said Makey, noting firefighters visited several other departments to collect ideas for the Timberlands facility. "There's training components for high angle rescue, confined spaces, that are built right in this structure."
Makey added the location of the new fire station allows the City to continue to meet the standard for response times in new residential developments.
"From the time we get the call to the time we get to your door, it has to be ten minutes or less," he pointed out. "This was put specifically in a place where we are going to reach everywhere within that ten minute response time."
Fire Station #4 will serve the growing communities in Timberlands and Evergreen, as well as future developments in the East Hill area, accordiing to City Manager Craig Curtis.
Meantime, City officials the new Fire Station #3 is being built in Lancaster at 30 Avenue and Lees Street is expected to open in 2017.