New fire station near Brookdale-Thirteenth would improve coverage: report

In this diagram from a City of Cornwall presentation, three proposed roads along with a new fire station near Brookdale Avenue and Thirteenth Street in Cornwall, Ont. would improve coverage of buildings within the city. Fire Chief Pierre Voisine will outline the options during a presentation to city council on Monday, Jan. 23, 2017. (City of Cornwall via Newswatch Group)

CORNWALL – A combination of three new roads and a fire station somewhere near Brookdale Avenue and Thirteenth Street could greatly improve the city’s fire coverage area.

Those options will be talked about in detail Monday (Jan. 23) as Fire Chief Pierre Voisine gives Cornwall City Council an update on the Fire Master Plan.

During budget talks in November, Fire Chief Voisine had hinted that an “optimized two station model” would be the best course of action for the Seaway City.

The way the two stations are positioned now (one at 10 Fourth Street West and another at 1351 Second Street East), there is noticeable overlap which results in only 69 per cent of the city’s structures currently being covered by a timely fire response.

The plan would see the station on Fourth Street closed and a new station built, somewhere in the area of Brookdale Avenue and Thirteenth Street West.

Also in the proposal are so-called access routes.

One would extend Ninth Street from Brookdale Avenue along the northern edge of Riverdale, west to Power Dam Drive. The other is the already-planned Lemay Street extension. Another access route is proposed through the East Ridge subdivision.

If all those changes were to take place, 94 per cent of the city’s buildings would be within a 6 minute response time – most within 3-4 minutes.

There has been $50,000 included in the 2017 budget for the feasibility study. The study would identify a specific location, a conceptual design and also a cost estimate.

Monday’s meeting starts at 7 p.m.