CORNWALL – While not letting the cat out of the bag, Fire Chief Pierre Voisine told the budget committee Monday a two fire station model will serve the future of Cornwall.
But Voisine said there needs to be an “optimized two station model” — namely closing the station on Fourth Street behind city hall.
Replacing it, a new station would be built somewhere in the northwest quadrant of the city.
“They (the two existing stations) are too close together,” Voisine said.
The Fourth Street station also has logistical problems – the fire chief believes it might be the only fire station in Ontario on a one-way street, which increases response times to fire calls.
The 2017 fire department budget includes $50,000 for a feasibility study to find out where the station would be best located and options needed for a building.
Under previous fire chief, Richard McCullough, the city had explored having a third fire station in the north section of the city but the city never moved on the recommendation.
The city had hired a consultant in the past to look at a north end station.