Opening of New Fire Hall and Emergency Operations Centre marks first of three critical facility replacements

The new Squamish Fire Rescue (SFR) headquarters and Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) is now operational, marking the completion of the first of three critical facilities identified for priority replacement in the District of Squamish’s 2019 Real Estate and Facilities Master Plan. The community is invited to celebrate this important milestone and visit the facility on Friday, August 26 between 3:30 and 7 p.m.  A ceremony will take place at 3:30 p.m. and include a fire apparatus push-in ceremony led by members of Squamish Fire Rescue, a long-standing tradition amongst fire departments that dates back to the late 1800s. The ceremony will also include a dedication to Henry Alexander Munro, the Village of Squamish’s first fire chief from 1912 to 1950. The original fire hall on Clarke Drive was dedicated to Munro, and the new facility will also honour Munro’s name. Public tours of the vehicle bays and equipment will be offered following the ceremony.

SFR will also host its annual family-friendly Open House during Fire Prevention Week in October, which would mark the return of the event after three years, now that COVID-19 restrictions have lifted.

“We have much to collectively celebrate with the completion of this emergency services building that will improve our response in emergencies and better support our firefighters and emergency management staff,” says District of Squamish Mayor Karen Elliott. “This is the first new municipal facility built since 2009, and its completion marks a major milestone in what has been an unprecedented period of critical facility investment and financial resource evaluation, design and construction over the last four years. With Fire Hall No. 2 on Tantalus Road scheduled to break ground this fall, Squamish can be confident that our first responders are well-housed and well-equipped long into the future to serve the community. This building also sets a new standard for green buildings in Squamish as it achieves the equivalent of Silver LEED certification and diverted 88% of waste (including throughout demolition) from the landfill.”

The new post-disaster reliable facility is a critical piece of infrastructure that will improve community resiliency during natural disasters. In addition to the SFR headquarters and EOC being moved above the floodplain, the facility is capable of operating for seven days on backup power. It also better accommodates and responds to the needs of the growing community through improved response times to the Downtown area.

“This new facility enhances our ability to offer fast and effective service to the community and offers valuable improvements in the areas of firefighter decontamination and training facilities,” says Squamish Fire Rescue Chief, Bill Stoner. “On behalf of all the members of Squamish Fire Rescue, we are grateful to Council and the community for supporting this important new build to ensure the highest quality of emergency response that SFR is known for now and into the future.”

Dedicated to Fire Chief Alex Munro 

Henry Alexander Munro (1871-1950) arrived in the Village of Squamish in 1912 and founded the first Fire Brigade for the village that same year. He was also involved in the first diking efforts to prevent flooding in downtown Squamish, at Buckley’s Crossing.  He devoted the remainder of his life to the fire service and served as Fire Chief from 1912 until his retirement in 1950 (just a few months before his passing) at age 81. He was recognized with a Good Citizenship Award after his retirement.

The new facility will continue to honour his legacy through a rock cairn and dedication plaque, a public display, and the original Alex Munro Fire Hall sign.

About Squamish Fire Rescue

Squamish Fire Rescue currently has 10 full time employees and 47 paid on-call fire fighters. The combined new fire halls will house seven fire apparatus, four response vehicles, and up to 60 full-time and paid on-call fire fighters and staff.

August 25, 2022