By John Stewart
The Mississauga News
ONTARIO, British Columbia — Public officials and politicians have mused for years about the benefits of combining fire and ambulance stations to save money and improve coordination of emergency services — and now it’s finally happening.
A new building under construction at 6825 Tomken Rd., south of Derry Rd., will house both a Peel Region paramedic station and a Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services station in a shared 38,000-sq.-ft. facility. It’s slated to open next summer.
The 29,000-sq.-ft. paramedic station will be home to up to 20 ambulances while the fire station can house two full crews. Peel will pay $8 million for the project, which the Ontario government is partially funding.
“After years of planning, I was delighted to break ground on the...first joint paramedic reporting and fire station in Ward 5,” said City of Mississauga Councillor Eve Adams, who represents the area. She also sits on Peel’s Emergency Protective Services Committee that helps plan delivery of emergency services.
“These stations will help us continue providing excellent emergency services while managing tax dollars wisely,” Adams said.
Peel has a plan to add 25 more paramedic stations across the region, so the savings in combining forces with the municipalities on new joint buildings may be significant.
There are two types of paramedic stations. The first, a “reporting station,” averages about 25,000 square feet and houses equipment, vehicles and resources for paramedics. Satellite stations, about 2,600 square feet, are where paramedics are stationed during their shifts so they can get to emergencies faster.
Peel plans to add four paramedic stations and 21 satellite sites by 2017.
As the population grows and traffic worsens, more stations are needed to maintain response times to road accidents and other emergencies, officials say.
“Shared locations allow the cities and Peel Region to cut construction and maintenance costs,” said Peel Region Chair Emil Kolb. “We will continue to use this approach...as we develop other stations planned for Brampton and Mississauga.”
The 8,000-sq.-ft. fire station is a new location for firefighters currently working out of a facility on Telford Way.
“This opportunity takes advantage of synergies that exist between both emergency service organizations and will ultimately continue to improve service to the community,” said Mississauga Fire Chief John McDougall.
The station includes energy-efficient initiatives that could save up to $20,000 compared to a less modern station.
Copyright 2010 The Mississauga News