The Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) is seeking city council approval for a long-term lease agreement with the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) to relocate Fire Station No. 5.
Relocating the fire hall from 421 Central Ave. in Sutherland to the northeast corner of Preston Avenue and 108th Street will meet the demands of a growing city, according to SFD.
“By using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, we’d previously identified that moving Station No. 5 to Preston Avenue North will provide a more optimal response model for the U of S and Varsity View, and at the same time, maintain responsive coverage to Sutherland,” SFD Chief Morgan Hackl said Wednesday in a release.
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SFD said an operational review led to the development of a new service model as it strives to provide a four-minute travelling response time to all areas of the city.
The first phase of the plan was the relocation of Fire Station No. 3, which was commissioned in July 2018.
Fire Station No. 5 is the second phase of the plan.
“The model aims to ensure the delivery of services to citizens is done in the most effective and efficient way possible as the city looks to the future and how to provide emergency response service to a city of 500,000 residents,” SFD said in a statement.
A report seeking approval for the lease agreement will go to city council on July 29.
Once approved, tenders will be issued for the design and construction of the new hall, with a completion date of spring 2021.
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