Construction underway on two new Welland fire stations

The new headquarters, expected to be open February 2022, will be 2,005 square metres which includes a large garage area that is nearly 50 per cent of the building and accommodations for volunteer and career firefighters.

Station 2 will cost more than $4.2 million and include demolition of the current headquarters at 636 King St. It will go behind the existing station, and be 580 square metres in size with the garage space nearly 60 per cent of the overall building size.

Eckhart called the work “very exciting,” but also necessary as the service’s current buildings were never built to be fire halls. However, all are more than 60 years old and were repurposed to house Welland’s team of first responders.

Putting on gear, loading into trucks, getting in and out of buildings — those will take less time with new buildings.

“If each of those steps add a few seconds, it really adds up,” he said about responses in current conditions.

With headquarters being on East Main Street, it will allow for a “better average response across the city,” said Eckhart.

The investment will modernize fire stations and enhance emergency response, and provide a modern training facility that ensures firefighters a “safe, reliable place to practice their skills for years to come,” said Eckhart.

“Modern stations will improve working conditions for visitors and our firefighters by helping to reduce exposures and contaminants in fire stations. These buildings will lower our energy use and demands on utilities for years to come while setting a performance benchmark that we hope others will also achieve,” he added.

Leftover concrete at the former Atlas property was crushed on site and recycled as an aggregate in the build, said Eckhart.

On King Street, Eckhart said he is pleased construction will still allow for the nearby Cool Licks Ice Cream Parlour to continue operating.