Community Services & Environment Committee
	TO:	Mayor and Members of Council
	FROM:	Don McClean, Fire Chief
	PREPARED BY:	Shayne Mintz, Deputy Fire Chief
	DATE OF MEETING:	2004 – Dec-13
	SUBJECT:	John Street Lands Proposal – Fire Department

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT Council receive this report and approve the use of the John St. Fire Station and lands as an interim training centre for the Fire and Emergency Services Department;

AND THAT Council reallocate 2004 Capital budget funds from the John St. Fire Station Lands – Feasibility Study project - account number 67-5399-6316-005, to the Fire Services for signage and minor capital improvements needed for the continued use of this facility on an interim basis.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to seek approval from Council to use the John St. Fire Station and lands for approximately 2 – 3 years as an interim fire service training facility.

BACKGROUND:

The Fire and Emergency Services Department have a legislated requirement to provide satisfactory training to our staff. We currently use the City of Toronto fire training facilities for many of these activities. Unfortunately these initiatives are becoming an ever increasing challenge to arrange because Toronto Fire Services usage of those facilities is also growing. Additionally, Richmond Hill Council is currently considering constructing a large scale full-featured Fire Training Centre that Town of Markham staff can take advantage of upon completion. However it is not expected that Richmond Hill will have anything substantive to use for approximately 2 – 3 years.

As there is a lack of an identified purpose for the John St. Fire Station property since it was decommissioned as an operational fire station, the Fire Services would like to use this facility as an interim centre to provide necessary training to our staff. It is intended the Fire and Emergency Services Department would be the prime users of this facility but other departments within the Town, as well as other public and private groups and organizations, would be welcome to use it if available. The facility would also be used to promote Public Fire Safety Education in addition to revenue generating opportunities through planning and development of promotional strategies.

The site would be used on an interim basis of between 2 –3 years at which time the issue of a long-term training site strategy can be revisited. By that time developments in Richmond Hill and Toronto, from a fire service training perspective, will be better clarified.

The John St. station has been unoccupied for several months and requires minor refurbishing such as cleaning, painting and minor flooring, and wall/room repairs. Also, in order to better identify the site as a training centre and not an operational fire station, signage will need to be created and posted in prominent locations on the building and site. In order to accomplish these tasks the Fire Services requests Council reallocate capital budget funds that were originally set aside in 2004 for a land use feasibility study for the John St. lands.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Council is requested to reallocate capital budget funds to a limit of $15,000 from account number 67-5399-6316-005, (originally set aside for a land use feasibility study for the John St. lands) for the purposes of minor building refurbishing and creating proper signage for the site and building.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:

These lands are not suitable, as a ‘live’ fire training site, and it is not contemplated that any activities will take place on this site that will have an environmental impact.

Don McClean, Fire Chief

Jim Sales, Commissioner, Community & Fire Services

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