Temporarily relocated crews are slated to return to Station 3, the New Sudbury Fire and Paramedic Station, in early 2024.
Crews left the Leon Avenue building on Oct. 3, with firefighters temporarily stationed at the Minnow Lake station and paramedics shifting to a temporary location at 1617 Havenbrook Dr.
The closure was to accommodate renovations to washroom, change room and shower facilities, during which asbestos was stirred up.
“The city has been working diligently with our contractor to develop a plan to remove the asbestos and return our firefighters and paramedics to the station safely,” according to a media release issued by the city on Dec. 20.
“Our contractor has made every effort to minimize delays; they recognize the urgency to complete the project while ensuring the safety of all personnel and maintaining a high quality of workmanship.”
Phase 1 of construction is expected to be complete in January.
Phase 2 of construction is expected to take an additional six weeks, but will focus on portions of the building that do not impact staff or service delivery.
While fire crews are stationed in MInnow Lake, response times could increase by two to five minutes, depending on location, according to the media release.
Sudbury Professional Fire Fighters cited “potential delays of up to 10 minutes” in their Facebook post, which Deputy Chief Jesse Oshell clarified to Sudbury.com last month would apply to the extreme western edge of the Station 3 response area, which is in the area of Tracks and Wheels on Old Highway 69 in Val Caron and is not a residential area.
While paramedics are stationed at a temporary location at a residential property in New Sudbury (1617 Havenbrook Dr.), they’ve pledged to “make every effort to reduce vehicle idling, and they minimize the use of warning systems (flashing lights and sirens) when leaving the station.”
