Loss of fire hall won’t significantly affect response times, chief says

WATCH: Loss of fire hall won’t significantly affect response times, chief says. Laura Zilke reports.

TORONTO – Despite the fire station burning to the ground along with equipment and six trucks, Mount Albert officials are adamant response times will not be significantly affected.

Fire Chief Phil Dawson told reporters Monday that they’ve struck a deal with fire crews in Georgina and Stouffville that will see those firefighters also serving Mount Albert.

Dawson is confident the destruction won’t significantly affect response times because Mount Albert’s fire crews are volunteer firefighters and thus have a longer response time than a professional force.

Until a temporary location can be found, fire crews from adjacent towns will be serving Mount Albert.

“I can tell you that people in Mount Albert should be quite comfortable in knowing that service they received last week or last month will be here today, tomorrow , until such time as we rebuild and it won’t be any different than the service we have for all East Gwillimbury residents,” Mayor of East Gwillimbury Virginia Hackson said.

The fire broke out minutes after 8 a.m. Sunday at the fire hall in Mount Albert. The fire hall was gutted and equipment and trucks destroyed.

It’s not yet known what caused the fire or how much it will cost.

“it’s our fire station and all our equipment, our hall itself, our equipment, our safety features for our fire fighters, our loss as well as fire trucks. It just makes it that much more significant to a community,” Hackson said. “We have no idea at this time what the cost is.”

Chief Dawson said a temporary location should be chosen within a week and operations resuming within two weeks. He added they are currently negotiating with suppliers and neighbouring municipalities to “secure, purchase or borrow” trucks and equipment.

– With files from Laura Zilke