New fire hall celebrates first anniversary

It’s been a year since the new St. Marys fire hall opened on James Street South, and so far, Chief Andy Anderson is happy with his department’s new home.

“The hall has met and exceeded our expectations,” he says. “We are thrilled with the new space and the benefits it offers our team and the community.”

The project began in 2020 with several goals: to create a safer, more inclusive workspace; to expand the building’s footprint to meet future equipment and training needs; and to make the fire service more efficient overall.

Today, the building boasts gender neutral showers, washrooms and changerooms; expanded storage for firefighters to safely sanitize and dry their gear; and improved ventilation systems to remove excess vehicle exhaust and gasses from the building.

It also houses a bay with room for six trucks and an administrative area with a dedicated space for firefighters to learn theory and perform practical training. Since the building opened, firefighters have participated in 50 training sessions, covering topics like rope and ladder rescue, naloxone administration and tactical ventilation.

The new hall has also helped firefighters get to emergencies faster. Since moving into the building, the department’s response time has shortened from 7.78 minutes to 6.19 minutes. This could be because the hall’s bay doors now face James Street, making it easier for trucks to hit the road in the event of an emergency.

Small changes like these make all the difference in a crisis, says Chief Anderson: “Every second in an emergency counts,” he says. “This new hall helps us help the community as quickly as possible, and we see that as an accomplishment worth celebrating.”

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For media inquiries:
Brett O’Reilly, Corporate Communications Manager
519-284-2340, ext. 432 | boreilly@town.stmarys.on.ca