F.A.Q.
Background
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• It is our needs as a community (Districts 3, 7 and part of 1) that we are addressing
• There are increased demands on our volunteers, equipment and facility
o Our climate is changing – floods, wildfires, drought
o Our community is changing – more homes, traffic, buildings
o The demands of life are changing – we are “on” 24/7, aging population, family support, technology, and remote work
o The large capacity gap from Emergency Medical Services (ambulances) is filled by the CVFD rather than ignoring residents experiencing a medical crisis
• This building will bring improved safety to the volunteers and needed services to all of us in the Chester Volunteer Fire Department’s service area, the Village and beyond for the next 40 years
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• No. The Chester Volunteer Fire Department is a volunteer service
• They provide – for free – fire and emergency response calls and extensive training (around 100 hours/year), along with miscellaneous equipment maintenance and meetings
• They commit this time on top of their actual jobs, family time, and even sleep!
• They receive a modest honorarium at Christmas only
• What is enough to ask of one individual or group in the community?
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• All the CVFD volunteer firefighters live in the service area
• There are roughly 50 men and women serving as firefighters at CVFD
• They are your neighbours, friends, and family members
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• The CVFD was extensively consulted about the building programming and layout. Our consultants have extensive experience in designing fire stations and current best practices.
• A few comments from the CVFD building committee:
o “You guys have done a fantastic job.”
o “Exactly what we asked for.”
o “Lives up to every aspect and them some.”
• The focus is on the fire service and how best to keep our community and volunteers safe
Current Fire Station
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• The CVFD was extensively consulted about the building programming and layout. Our consultants have extensive experience in designing fire stations and current best practices.
• A few comments from the CVFD building committee:
o “You guys have done a fantastic job.”
o “Exactly what we asked for.”
o “Lives up to every aspect and them some.”
• The focus is on the fire service and how best to keep our community and volunteers safe.
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• Apparatus bay has insufficient height and space for storage, gathering, safety clearances, and efficient operations
• No separate PPE storage space or isolated decontamination facilities for firefighters
• Significant water damage to mechanical & electrical room, as well as water damage visible to windows & skylights, kitchen and washrooms
• Heating and cooling issues
• No accessible/barrier-free access or space
• The full Existing Facilities Conditions Report is available on our website: www.chesterfirecommittee.ca
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• Constrained site access and circulation in the heritage part of Chester Village is limiting; The new location on Highway 3 will benefit response times and long-term durability
• Vehicle access is constrained by the condition and capacity of Central Street
• Insufficient site conditions for expansion
• The current station will have to be in operational use up to the day of the move to the new building to avoid any interruption to emergency services during the build.
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• The current fire station is owned by the Village of Chester. The land is owned by the Municipality of Chester, under lease to the Village until such time as it is no longer required for a Village public purpose – when it reverts to Municipal ownership
• Future use of the land would be up to the Municipality
Public Use
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• The CVFD was extensively consulted about the building programming and layout. Our consultants have extensive experience in designing fire stations and current best practices.
• A few comments from the CVFD building committee:
o “You guys have done a fantastic job.”
o “Exactly what we asked for.”
o “Lives up to every aspect and them some.”
• The focus is on the fire service and how best to keep our community and volunteers safe.
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• Apparatus bay has insufficient height and space for storage, gathering, safety clearances, and efficient operations
• No separate PPE storage space or isolated decontamination facilities for firefighters
• Significant water damage to mechanical & electrical room, as well as water damage visible to windows & skylights, kitchen and washrooms
• Heating and cooling issues
• No accessible/barrier-free access or space
• The full Existing Facilities Conditions Report is available on our website: www.chesterfirecommittee.ca
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• Constrained site access and circulation in the heritage part of Chester Village is limiting; The new location on Highway 3 will benefit response times and long-term durability
• Vehicle access is constrained by the condition and capacity of Central Street
• Insufficient site conditions for expansion
• The current station will have to be in operational use up to the day of the move to the new building to avoid any interruption to emergency services during the build.
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• The current fire station is owned by the Village of Chester. The land is owned by the Municipality of Chester, under lease to the Village until such time as it is no longer required for a Village public purpose – when it reverts to Municipal ownership
• Future use of the land would be up to the Municipality
Sustainability
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• An Environmental Due Diligence was done as part of Phase 1
• There are no at-risk or protected vegetation or animal species on the property
• There is one small designated wetland on the property near the edge of Stanford Lake – this does not affect the building footprint, which is concentrated near the road
• A climate impact study may be included in Phase 2
• The full Environmental Due Diligence Report is available on our website: www.chesterfirecommittee.ca
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• Building an energy-efficient station will help mitigate long-term operational costs, especially considering the intermittent but extreme exposure to outdoor conditions when apparatus bay doors are in use
• Sustainability elements planned for the building include a rainwater catchment/storage system to provide non-potable water
• Under consideration is a geothermal system for heating and solar panels
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• Potable water
o Drilled well
• Non-potable water (washing and filling trucks, building sprinkler system)
o Rain/snow water capture system to a cistern
o Stanford Lake use details are yet to be determined
Estimated Cost & Taxation
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• Modern fire stations built in Canada recently can range from $400/ft2 to $1,084/ft2 depending on size and needs, construction materials, energy sources and other “green” components
• Class D estimates prepared in Phase 1 are preliminary and Include 20-30% contingencies to account for time-lapse and the increasing cost of materials and construction
• Class D estimates for this station are $466/ft2 to $710/ft2 – or $11.7M to $17.8M
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• A combination of fire rate taxes, municipal, provincial and federal funding, plus a capital fundraising campaign with a likely target of $20M
• The cost to the taxpayer is an estimated additional $200/year on a $500,000 property value
• There will be some funds in the Building Reserve by the time we’re ready to build, but probably less than $1M
• Most federal and provincial grant applications require the project to be “shovel ready” and typically take 4-6 months or up to a year to render a decision
• The Committee has to plan for and proceed without a government funding guarantee
• The main mechanism will likely have to be a large capital loan, with a fundraising campaign to repay over a number of years
• There is a fundraising sub-committee being formed – let us know if you want to help!
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• Yes. Under the Municipal Government Act, Item 90 (1) states that: “No money shall be borrowed by a village or service commission under the provisions of this Act or another Act of the Legislature until the village or service commission obtains the approval of the electors for the proposed borrowing at a public meeting…” More to come on this topic.
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• The fire station and a water system have separate tax collection. The property tax Fire Rate funds the fire service only, and the property tax Government Rate funds all other municipal/village responsibilities
• The tax is not of a size or scope to prevent a central water system, which is under the jurisdiction of the Municipality
• The modest increases to the Fire Tax Rate primarily keep up with ever-increasing operational costs and provide capital reserves for replacement firetrucks and future building capital needs
• Regarding fundraising, the Fire Committee cannot make decisions based on plans of other organizations in the service area, only our own – this is apples and oranges!
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• In the Committee’s view, the CVFD members give more than enough.
Project Timeline
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• Several workshops and review meetings ensured a collaborative design process with the CVFD and the Committee
• A public presentation with question period was held on February 15, 2024, early in the design phase
• Building layout underwent several iterations to ensure all requirements were addressed and reviewed with sign-off from the CVFD Building Committee
• Exterior design was the result of exploring and discussing several options
• Geotechnical and Environmental reports were completed
• Conceptual Mechanical, Electrical, Civil and Structural systems were developed for the proposed design
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• Each phase goes to public tender, managed by the Municipality of Chester
• Phase 1: Existing building conditions report; Hwy 3 site analysis (engineering, geotechnical, environmental); building footprint and program/floor plans; conceptual design; Class D preliminary cost estimate (+/- 20-30%)
• Phase 2: Detailed design; Class B cost estimate (+/- 10-15%); construction tendering (to be “shovel ready”); project management Phase 2-3
• Phase 3: Class A estimate from contractor; building construction
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• Phase 1 has been 9 months, not including the tender period
• Phase 2 is estimated to be 4-6 months
• Phase 3 is estimated to be 18-24 months
• Estimated fire station completion in 2027-2028. The sooner the better!
Original F.A.Q - Jan 13, 2021
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• The current hall is 60 years old. That, by itself, does not warrant a new hall but there are other considerations such as safety and fiscal prudence.
• The building does not provide any health and safety protection for the firefighters through the separation of zones: red (contaminated/apparatus bay), yellow (partially decontaminated/locker room), and green (clean/offices), each with separate HVAC systems utilizing positive and negative pressure to prevent cross-contamination from one zone to another.
• The bay doors are not wide enough or high enough to accommodate today’s apparatus. Instead, all heavy vehicle apparatus must be purchased with a custom chassis, at a premium ranging between $100,000 to $200,000.
• Historically, firefighting apparatus has been replaced every 20 years (NFPA suggested protocol) on a 5-year rotational basis. Currently there are four trucks requiring custom chassis. Being able to purchase stock trucks will save $400,000 to $800,000 over a 20-year period.
• The list of building deficiencies is extensive: inadequate storage space for hoses, other equipment, rescue boats; inadequate space to work on or wash apparatus in the building; location of communications room does not provide view of entire apparatus floor; compressor room poorly located with no exhaust; apparatus must be moved out of building before hoses can be washed; inadequate hose drying area; inadequate HVAC system; HVAC system does not meet requirements for four seasons; etc.
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• 85 years ago, when the fire station was first built, the Central Street location was perfect: the fire service area was the Village; the firefighters were Villagers; and the location was in the middle of the fire service area - halfway between North Street and South Street, halfway between the east harbour and the west harbour.
• 60 years ago, after the hall burned down, Central Street was still considered an appropriate location.
• Today, the fire and emergency services area is no longer just the Village but extends from Middle River in the west to Little East River in the east and N and NE along Highway 14 to the West Hants/HRM border. (See attached map)
• Time is THE Number One criterion when responding to any fire or emergency.
• Most of the CVFD firefighters today live and work outside the Village. These responders must use additional time, and care, travelling through a residential zone to reach the hall in the middle of the Village, and again in many cases, to get back to North Street, their main east-west artery, while having to negotiate two potentially dangerous intersections on the way out.
• In the spring, summer and fall, the 20-foot+/- paved surface of Central Street is narrowed by grounds maintenance vehicles and parking. In the winter, the prohibited use of road salt makes for a snow-packed/icy road surface and, therefore, hazardous driving conditions.