On Friday, March 25 at 1 p.m., South Frontenac Council, Fire and Rescue personnel, and Township staff gathered at 4490 Battersea Road. to officially break ground on construction of the new Station 8 fire facility.
“This is an exciting time to be a resident of South Frontenac,” said Mayor Ron Vandewal. “Council is honored to be able to break ground and start construction on the new Station 8 Fire Hall, as public safety is a responsibility we take seriously in this community,” explained Vandewal. “Being committed to the protection of our residents means having the infrastructure and resources needed to respond to emergencies effectively and efficiently – this new facility will ensure our fire service can continue to provide the level of service residents have come to rely on.”
With a total of 8 stations across the Township, this new building will be of similar design to the Perth Road Station that opened in 2018 and will act as a replacement for the current Station 8 in Sunbury and former station 9 on Burnt Hills Rd. Geographically central to future growth in the Township’s east end, the new facility will ensure the fire service is properly equipped to meet the needs of current residents as well as those moving into new housing in the area.
“As one of our most active stations, the additional space that is being added to both the garage bays and training room will be of great use to our fire services,” said Chief Darcy Knott, Director of Fire and Emergency Services. “Since 2018 SFFR has conducted consistent recruitment campaigns to ensure we have enough volunteer fire fighters to maintain our levels of service. While we provide an extensive training program for all recruits, it is also our responsibility to ensure stations are strategically located and designed to bolster our emergency response operations,” explained Chief Knott.
The new firehall is being built by Bourgon Construction and will cost approximately $3.3 million to construct. This 7,600 sq ft, single storey facility will contain three drive-thru truck bays and house a variety of emergency response equipment. The new Station 8 will also have a dedicated training area and provide office space for meetings, administrative staff, and Platoon Chief offices.
“In addition to the slightly larger building footprint, the other major difference in this new build is the inclusion of several design elements that will allow the facility to operate more efficiently,” explained Mayor Vandewal. “We are excited to incorporate energy efficient and sustainable elements like roof mounted solar panels, LED lighting, an air-source heat pump, and the potential for net metering with Hydro One in order to offset energy costs” said Vandewal. “Council made a commitment in our Strategic Plan to promote and support growth that meets the community’s needs while maintaining the integrity of our natural environment – and this is South Frontenac continuing to move in that direction.”
It is anticipated that the new facility will be completed and ready for active service in late 2022, until then Station 8 crews will continue to operate out of the Storrington Centre at 3910 Battersea Rd. (current station 8).
In addition to Council and SFFR Senior Officers, Deputy Fire Chief Alex Bennett, Louise Fragnito, South Frontenac’s Interim C