So I talked to friend on the Fire Department about this station. To start with this station was already on the books for the Ancaster Fire Department when amalgamation came along. Hamilton was already planning a new station at the top of Upper Paradise at Rymal area to service the high number of senior residences going in that area and to service the backside of the airport when amalgamation came along. The Ancaster station was originally planed close to the power centre on Golflinks. This new station on Garner is a cost savings as there would have been two stations built, two fire trucks bought and 40 firefighters hired instead of just 20 for one station. This is one of the few actually documented and factual cost savings of amalgamation.
Up to now the area is serviced by Station 21 on Wilson Street @ the 403 and Station 3 at Garth and Mohawk. Because of the evil area rating, Ancaster people pay less for fire fighting services, they being 3rd out of 6 areas. But they get full service with some full time vehicles and some part-time vehicles whenever the part-timers get to the station. The problem with that area and the Meadowlands is that the vehicle from Station 3 almost always beats the vehicle from Station 21 to the calls. But then the area served by Station 3 now is served by a vehicle further away yet the people of Ward 8 are paying more for their service than the people in Ancaster. This was driving Ward 8 Councillor Terry Whitehead crazy. Now this new station will go into Ancaster but also go down Garner/Rymal in to old Hamilton and service this area and up into the Mount Hope area and the back end of the airport. This station will also house a new ambulance for that area. The mothballed station in old Ancaster is now a live theatre.
My friend also said that they pick locations by working out response times. A built up area should get the first fire truck within 4 minutes, 80% of the time. When an area gets busy, then they look at adding more trucks to a station. That is why the lower city has most of the stations with 2 trucks. Station 1 on John Street has 3 as they do over 4000 calls a year in the core! In the outlying areas, you can have stations with up to 5 vehicles. At the most, only one will be staffed 24/7 and the rest will be staffed with on call part-timers.
I was also told that there are plans to build a new station in Waterdown. It is to be in the area of Evens Road and HWY 5/Dundas Street. It will be staffed by on call part-timers and will be called Station 31 and may open as early as late 2009.
If you want to see what the Hamilton Fire Department has in the way of Stations and Fire Trucks, try this link.
http://www.myhamilton.ca/myhamilton/...+Locations.htm
Stations 1 to 12, 20 & 23 are full time staffed (24/7).
Stations 17, 21 & 24 have one vehicle staffed 24/7 and the rest are on call part-timers.
Stations 14, 15, 16, 18, 19 & 25 to 28 and future 31 are on call part-timers.
Station 13 is a Maintenance facility and is staffed from 8:30 am to 11 pm.
Station 22 is a training facility and is usually staffed from 8 am to 11 pm.
Station 29 is the fire prevention HQ and is staffed from 7 am to 6 pm.
Station 30 is a 24/7 EMS facility and houses about a dozen ambulances, first response units and large incident support units. It also houses the central storeroom for all of the Hamilton Emergency Services Fire & EMS stations and personnel.
Stations 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24 & 30 house ambulances also.
I hope this helps people with the need and placing of Fire/EMS stations.
Prev
Linear Mode
