Petrolia's fire chief agrees with local councillors that a new fire hall, with working showers, is needed as the municipality continues to grow.
Town council recently voted to begin planning to replace the current fire hall on Centre Road.
Councillor Liz Welsh introduced the successful motion, noting the "fair" condition of the building and plans for $34,000 in upgrades over the next few years.
"The town of Petrolia is growing and we need to plan for increased population and structures that meet our needs and levels of service in the long term," read part of the motion.
Petrolia and North Enniskillen Fire Department Chief Rick Cousins said the current facility was constructed in 1976 and is a little small.
"We are running out of space, there is no proper storage," Cousins said. "We need more space, for sure."
After calls, firefighters are given one hour to shower but Cousins said the hall doesn't have a decontamination room or working showers, and the washrooms are outdated.
"You jump in your own personal vehicle and go home after a call, you're contaminating your vehicle and then your contaminating your house," he said. "If you don't clean your vehicle next, then your family could be contaminated later because it will off-gas in you're vehicle for a while."
However, the building's current location is suitable, there's just no room to build on the property while keeping the hall operational.
"There has been feasibility studies in the past but there will be a new one taken into consideration," Cousins said. "Of course, it all depends on being able to purchase property somewhere."
Ideally, Cousins said it would be nice to have a new fire hall in four to five years, but in reality, it's likely a 10-year project.
"The town is growing and so we need to plan for that increase in population," he said. "We need to put [that] into our long-term financial plan. It's not something that's going to happen overnight but it's something we need to be prepared for."
Cousins said the fire department's coverage area spans from the east side of Mandaumin Road, to the west side of Forest Road, the south side of Churchill Line, to the north side of Shiloh Line.
The fire department has six apparatuses and 30 members in total, as well as a support team of 14 members.
-With files from Stephanie Chaves
