The Fernie Professional Firefighters Local 2827 are reaching out to the community to highlight the challenges of operating from their temporary Fire Hall, which they say is not designed for emergency response. They also want to make residents aware of how these challenges are impacting response times to emergency calls.
“When we are out and about in the community, we are often asked how things are at our temporary location. The topic of our conversation almost always turns to the delayed responses that now occur,” the Firefighters shared in a social media post on November 13.
The current Fire Hall is located in the old Public Works building on Railway Avenue.
“The Public Works Yard was never designed for emergency responses, but that is where we operate from,” the firefighters stated.
When dispatched to an emergency:
• Firefighters must walk 100 meters to an Atco trailer to retrieve their firefighting gear, passing through two locked gates with keypad codes along the way.
• After donning their gear, they must walk another 35 meters to reach the bays where the trucks are stored, opening another locked door to access the vehicles.
• Only one truck can exit at a time because the bays are not designed to house two trucks. Finally, they must pass through a locked vehicle gate to leave the yard.
• Once on Railway Avenue, response times can be delayed further by trains blocking the route. Recent fires in the Airport subdivision highlighted this issue, with train delays affecting both firefighters arriving from home and trucks leaving the yard.
“Our temporary location was never designed for emergency responses, and we are doing the best we can as we wait for the new Fire Hall to be built,” the firefighters explained.
They also raised concerns about responding to incidents across the tracks. Most emergencies occur on the Highway 3 side, requiring careful navigation to avoid train crossings and busy areas like the EIDES school zone.
“The residents of Fernie deserve a quick response when they are experiencing an emergency, and we look forward to operating out of a purpose-built fire hall in a good location,” the firefighters said.
To address community questions and provide insight into their current challenges, the firefighters are inviting all interested citizens to an Open House at the temporary Fire Hall on Saturday, November 23, from 2 to 4 p.m.
Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, tour the temporary facility, and learn more about how Fernie’s firefighters are continuing to serve the community despite these challenges.
For more information, visit Fernie Professional Firefighters Local 2827 on social media.
