Photo by B. Shakyaver
A South Huron committee of the whole on Monday night (April 22) saw the gallery full of firefighters, there to cheer on Chief Jeremy Becker as he stated the case for a new firehall in Dashwood.
According to Becker, the existing station was severely dated, with initial construction taking place in the mid-fifties, and no longer serves the needs of the South Huron Fire Department – with no decontamination shower, no industrial laundry facility, no sewer service, no space for vehicle maintenance, and no diesel fume extraction system present.
These needs were identified in a master plan several years ago, and at the time it was reccomended that these hazards be addressed – this was cause for concern for Councillor Marissa Vaughan.
Unfortunately, at this time, the station sits on the property lines, allowing no space for changes to see to these shortfalls.
While historically, some studies have identified Crediton as a possible location for the station to be relocated to, Becker pointed to service agreements with neighbouring municipalities that rely on the present location of the station, as well as a potential for response times to plummet.
The report suggested the station be constructed at 177 Centre Street, Dashwood, the current location of Dashwood’s ball diamond, which is owned by the municipality and hasn’t seen organized sports in well over a decade – however, Councillor Milt Dietrich raised concerns about the community’s willingness to surrender the diamond.
Councillor Aaron Neeb was explicit in his statement – reccomendations to replace the Dashwood Fire Hall have been on the table for 12 years, and the time to make a decision is now.
His sentiment was echoed by Deputy Mayor Jim Dietrich.
Mayor George Finch stated that the replacement was necessary in the interest of public safety, and that the Dashwood location was the uncontested best place for it to be.
A recorded vote saw unanimous agreement from the committee to recommend the fire hall be replaced, and relocated at 177 Centre Street, Dashwood.
Written by: B. Shakyaver
