MalahatTwo7
11-10-2007, 10:24 PM
Firefighters finally move out of trailers. $1-million fire hall upgrade includes new living space for crew, four-storey training tower
Sandra McCulloch, Times Colonist Published: Saturday, November 10, 2007
They dubbed themselves "The Trailer Park Boys" for the six months they lived in two portable trailers behind Victoria Fire Department's No. 3 hall.
But now $1-million worth of renovations, seismic upgrades and construction of a four-storey tower are complete and the firefighters are enjoying the perks of their new living space in the hall at 740 Bay St.
"It was a little too close for comfort, but we had a good crew and everybody got along together and that's the name of the game," said firefighter Mark Roberts of the trailer accommodations.
The renovations on the fire hall, originally constructed in the 1970s, took place over a year. Normal activity continued at the hall during most of the construction, but firefighters had to vacate in the summer.
The highlight of the upgrades is a new tower of steel framing -- a vertical zig-zag staircase used for training.
Yesterday, firefighters put on a demonstration for city officials and media on how the tower can be used to practise fire suppression in a highrise and high-angle rope rescues.
They also strapped city manager Penny Ballantyne into a basket and lowered her by ropes from the top of the tower to the ground.
The tower is invaluable for firefighters keeping their skills up to standard, said deputy fire chief Paul Bruce.
"It's a simulation that's as close to real life as we can get. We do drills for a minimum of two hours every day."
The concern for Bruce is having enough fighters on the scene of a big fire.
By the time a big fire breaks out in a highrise, firefighters scramble to get their heavy gear up the stairs to the blaze. "Remember, they've got all their gear on and backpacks on," Bruce said.
"It's incumbent on the incident commander to be bringing resources in from the department or outside agencies in order to relieve these guys because they're worn out."
The new tower will be available to the 100 firefighters at the Victoria Fire Department, said Bruce.
"The police have also used this tower for some of their training," he said.
The Bay Street fire station is the busiest in the city, he said, with 1,900 call-outs in 2006 and 1,880 so far this year. Its back lot has ample space for training.
Improvements on the hall includes a new kitchen and leisure area and addition of a women's washroom. There are no female firefighters in Victoria although there are female dispatchers.
A special detoxification/steam shower helps firefighters clean up after a blaze. Several bunks are separated by partial walls while a separate room with a heavy door is set aside as the "snore dorm," for heavy snorers.
As for who sleeps where, the heavy snorers "don't have a choice," said Bruce.
Other upgrades include the single-pane windows being replaced with energy efficient double-glazed windows which also cut down on the noise from busy Bay Street.
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2007
Sandra McCulloch, Times Colonist Published: Saturday, November 10, 2007
They dubbed themselves "The Trailer Park Boys" for the six months they lived in two portable trailers behind Victoria Fire Department's No. 3 hall.
But now $1-million worth of renovations, seismic upgrades and construction of a four-storey tower are complete and the firefighters are enjoying the perks of their new living space in the hall at 740 Bay St.
"It was a little too close for comfort, but we had a good crew and everybody got along together and that's the name of the game," said firefighter Mark Roberts of the trailer accommodations.
The renovations on the fire hall, originally constructed in the 1970s, took place over a year. Normal activity continued at the hall during most of the construction, but firefighters had to vacate in the summer.
The highlight of the upgrades is a new tower of steel framing -- a vertical zig-zag staircase used for training.
Yesterday, firefighters put on a demonstration for city officials and media on how the tower can be used to practise fire suppression in a highrise and high-angle rope rescues.
They also strapped city manager Penny Ballantyne into a basket and lowered her by ropes from the top of the tower to the ground.
The tower is invaluable for firefighters keeping their skills up to standard, said deputy fire chief Paul Bruce.
"It's a simulation that's as close to real life as we can get. We do drills for a minimum of two hours every day."
The concern for Bruce is having enough fighters on the scene of a big fire.
By the time a big fire breaks out in a highrise, firefighters scramble to get their heavy gear up the stairs to the blaze. "Remember, they've got all their gear on and backpacks on," Bruce said.
"It's incumbent on the incident commander to be bringing resources in from the department or outside agencies in order to relieve these guys because they're worn out."
The new tower will be available to the 100 firefighters at the Victoria Fire Department, said Bruce.
"The police have also used this tower for some of their training," he said.
The Bay Street fire station is the busiest in the city, he said, with 1,900 call-outs in 2006 and 1,880 so far this year. Its back lot has ample space for training.
Improvements on the hall includes a new kitchen and leisure area and addition of a women's washroom. There are no female firefighters in Victoria although there are female dispatchers.
A special detoxification/steam shower helps firefighters clean up after a blaze. Several bunks are separated by partial walls while a separate room with a heavy door is set aside as the "snore dorm," for heavy snorers.
As for who sleeps where, the heavy snorers "don't have a choice," said Bruce.
Other upgrades include the single-pane windows being replaced with energy efficient double-glazed windows which also cut down on the noise from busy Bay Street.
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2007