Mayor Bill Dingwall and Fire Chief Mike Larsson marked the start of construction of the new Pitt Meadows firehall with a small groundbreaking ceremony that was released on Youtube on Monday.

Construction of the new three-storey, 25,270 square-foot post disaster rated facility, with a four-storey hose tower, four tandem bays, and the city’s new emergency operations centre, is scheduled to be complete by late summer 2022.

It will be built on the same site as the firehall it will replace. Pitt Meadows Fire and Rescue Services have been temporarily relocated to a location at the Pitt Meadows Regional Airport during construction.

City council approved a $12.8 million contract to replace the hall. Jacob Bros Construction is the general contractor for the project, and will be starting construction in the coming weeks.

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“On behalf of city council, I am very proud to see construction begin on this much needed new fire hall for our community,” said Dingwall. “With public and firefighter safety as our top priority, the new state-of-the-art facility will provide a healthy work environment with important training facilities and a modern Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) for first responders and EOC staff. It will also enhance communications and services during emergencies in our region and has space to meet the needs of our community for decades to come.”

“It’s an exciting moment to break ground and begin construction,” said fire chief Mike Larsson. “Building this new firehall will not only help keep families and the growing community safe from fire and other emergencies, it will also ensure the health and safety of our firefighters.”

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As the project moves forward, information will be shared with the community on the city website and social media channels. For more information, visit pittmeadows.ca/newfirehall.

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