The study follows the phase-one study in 2015 and this time dove specifically into flood-proofing, piling/foundation, and other needed geo-technical and civil engineering work. The need for a new or remodeled fire hall in Northfield has led to a number of facility studies throughout the years, dating back to 1994 when the Northfield Public Works Department conducted a facility report and found the department had reached its storage capacity for fire trucks. In the last five years, four studies have been completed, with estimates ranging from $2.765 million to $6.785 million for a new or remodeled facility. The studies have been conducted due to the limited space, lack of code compliance and flooding and accessibility issues. The concerns led to the joint powers board approving a roughly $24,000 phase-one facility study, most of which was covered by a grant. After feeling it needed more pre-project planning, the board approved an additional $34,180 for a phase-two study.

The department is donating 318 helmets, 58 sets of bunker gear and 12 medical bags to Firefighters Without Borders (FWB), who will send it to the south American countries.

President Russ Chalmers said if it's not the largest donation ever, the "it's up there."

"We're happy to get it," he said. "It's a really socially responsible thing they're doing."

The gear the city is donating is functional, but no longer usable under Ontario standards. Much of it can only be used for 10 years, said Chalmers. But it's still useful in places such as Nicaragua, Honduras and St. Lucia, where there are often fewer firefighting resources, particularly in rural areas.

In many outlying areas there, Chalmers said, volunteers who receive little training and no honorarium fight fires with whatever equipment they can scrape together.

The fire department's equipment disposal policy is to donate where possible, said Shawn DeJager, senior project manager of the Hamilton Fire Department. Otherwise, the equipment goes to landfill.