Frequently Asked Questions - about the Project

#1 why build a replacement fire hall #2 in Heriot Bay?

The Province of BC created the South Quadra Island Fire Protection District as an Improvement District in 1960 with the purpose of providing fire protection facilities and services to the area’s residents.

The Fire Protection District has a responsibility to maintain a fire hall that meets WorkSafe BC, BC Building Code, and Fire Code requirements, and that reflects industry best practices (e.g. National Fire Protection Association guidelines). The current Fire Hall #2 in Heriot Bay does not meet these requirements and must be either retrofitted and renovated, or replaced.

The Fire Protection District has been working for the past several years on a plan to address the issues with Fire Hall #2.   After careful review of areas of concern, Fire Hall #2 stood out as very weak in regards to volunteer safety and compliance with WorkSafe BC, BC Building Code, and Fire Code requirements  The trustees considered the option to retrofit and renovate the existing building. This option was voted down due to lack of water and septic on the site, the fact that the site is leased and not owned, the age and size of the building, the size of the lot, and seismic issues.  The option to build a new structure on previously purchased land was voted as the best use of taxpayer funds as it would provide a safe building and address the list of ongoing concerns.

Please see the Project Page for more information on what is wrong with the current Fire Hall #2 and how the replacement Fire Hall will be different.

There are various health and safety concerns with the current Fire Hall #2 in Heriot Bay.

Firstly, it is a small, unheated garage with no exhaust system. The turn out gear (the clothes/equipment that firefighters put on to go to a call) is hung right behind where the fire trucks are parked as there is nowhere else to put it where it can be quickly accessed. When the fire trucks are started up to go to a call, and when they back into the Hall after a call, the exhaust empties onto the firefighters and their gear. Exposing firefighters and their clothing to all of this exhaust is very unhealthy. In the replacement Fire Hall #2 the exhaust will be properly vented to the outside as it is currently done in Fire Hall #1 in Quathiaski Cove.

Secondly, it has no water and no septic system, nor the ability to build them due to the limitations of the lot. This means that no cleaning can be done at the current Fire Hall #2. After a fire, firefighters must take a shower, put on clean clothes, and wash all of their gear. Currently, they must to go to Fire Hall #1 to do this. The replacement Fire Hall #2 will have showers, laundry facilities, and the proper space and equipment to decontaminate gear.

Thirdly, in the case of a major seismic event, or earthquake, the current Fire Hall #2 would likely crumble to the ground (as determined by 2015 study of the seismic stability of the building). Anyone in the Hall at the time would not be safe, and the trucks and all of the gear inside would be crushed. The replacement Fire Hall #2 will meet all current post-disaster standards and be able to withstand an earthquake. Indeed, it will be built to a higher standard than even Fire Hall #1 in Quathiaski Cove.

Besides the benefit of faster response times to emergencies when every second counts, each fire hall is geographically placed to provide reduced insurance costs to those properties that are within an 8 km radius of each hall.

A new fire hall will be built to post-disaster standards, meaning that it will withstand significant seismic events. The existing fire hall was not even built to life-safety standards, meaning that it should allow people to escape from the building.

The replacement Fire Hall #2 design is based on similar fire halls throughout Vancouver Island, which meet current building and seismic post-disaster standards while providing much needed space for firefighting apparatus (vehicles) and equipment.

If property owner approval to borrow is achieved by April 30 2025, construction is anticipated to be completed in 2027.

A replacement fire hall will be designed to last a minimum of 50 years.

The cost of building a replacement Fire Hall #2 is estimated to be $2,900,000 if we commence construction in 2025. This budget was created based on current market prices. If we wait, the cost is likely to increase.

The detailed construction budget can be found on page 13 of the Information Package, found on the Documents page and also linked directly HERE.  Please keep in mind that the budget is based on realistic estimates of what the costs will be.  The final cost could end up being less, or more, however every effort will be made to spend responsibly.

The design for the replacement fire hall is not fancy or frilly. Rather it just covers the basics required for modern day fire halls, while also considering the future needs of a growing population. We do not want to waste money by building something of poor quality that won’t last, or that is of a size that we will grow out of quickly.

Please see FAQ #23 below for a more detailed answer to this question.

The cost of building a replacement Fire Hall #2 will be covered by a loan. The loan will be repaid through property taxes. The properties within the South Quadra Island Fire Protection District will pay an estimated $23.50 per $100,000 of assessed property value per year. This will start in the month of July following the completion of construction, so not for a few years. The term of the loan will be a maximum of 20 years.

Property owners outside the Fire Protection District will not be impacted.  To find out if the property you own is within the South Quadra Island Fire Protection District, click HERE.

Every effort has been made to create a realistic budget. However if more funding is needed, the South Quadra Island Fire Protection District will need to come back to the property owners in the District with a request to borrow more money or raise money through alternate methods such as a donation drive. 

The SRD does not pay for fire services. In order to fund fire services on Quadra Island, the Quadra Island Improvement District was established in 1960. Improvement Districts provide services such as water and fire protection services (also known as “objects”) for the benefit of landowners within their boundaries.

Improvement Districts are separate from Regional Districts and are funded through property taxes.

When the Quadra Island Improvement District was established in 1960, Quadra Island fire protection boundaries were established at that time. Only the property owners within those boundaries receive and pay for fire protection services from the Quadra Island Fire Department.

The Local Government Act allows an Improvement District to use a Special Meeting, an Alternative Approval Process (AAP), or a Referendum in order to gain approval for an increase in taxation. The AAP was chosen by the Board of Trustees of the South Quadra Fire Protection District for several reasons.

Firstly, it will enable the Board of Trustees to reach the affected property owners in an efficient and inclusive way.  In contrast to Special Meetings which are generally not very well attended and limit who can participate e.g. only those available and able to travel to the meeting location are in attendance.

Secondly, an AAP is less expensive to run than a Referendum.

Thirdly, an AAP was the process used in the past by the South Quadra Island Fire Protection District when seeking property owner approval to borrow funds. It has worked well in the past to gain approval in an efficient yet inclusive way.

For more information on the process for an AAP that is required for Improvement Districts please see the Improvement District Manual, specifically these pages.

Any property owner within the Fire Protection District boundaries who is a Canadian citizen and over the age of 18 is eligible to register their opposition to the loan during the AAP period (February 20th to March 27th, 2025).

You can register your opposition by signing and sending in an Owner Response Form, by email or mail, by the deadline of March 27, 2025 at 12:00 midnight.  Please see the Form for the correct address and email to send it to.

Starting on February 20th, 2025, hard copies of the Owner Response Forms will be available between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm, Monday to Thursday (unless staff are responding to an emergency), at Fire Hall #1 at 844 Heriot Bay Rd in Quathiaski Cove.

Also starting on February 20th you will be able to download the Form HERE and print it at your convenience.  (Note: please select “fit to page” on your printer if you are having trouble printing the Form.  And then fill in the Form using dark ink.  A scan or photo of the Form can be attached to an email as long as all info you have written is legible.)

If ten percent of the eligible property owners (167 people) reject the borrowing of funds by submitting Owner Response Forms, the Board of Trustees cannot proceed with borrowing the funds to build a replacement Fire Hall #2 in Heriot Bay.

If the borrowing of funds is not approved through the AAP, the Board of Trustees may proceed with holding a Referendum or a Special Meeting.

Community support is essential for us to build a replacement Fire Hall #2. You can support this project by using your voice to tell others why you support a replacement Fire Hall #2 for the Quadra Island Fire Department and helping clarify any misinformation that you hear.

If you would like to make a donation to help offset the cost of construction of the replacement hall, you can mail a cheque to P.O. Box 80, Quathiaski Cove, BC, V0P 1N0 or drop it off at Hall #1, 844 Heriot Bay Road.  We also accept cash donations.

Frequently Asked Questions - General

The South Quadra Island Fire Protection District is an improvement district.  Improvement districts are incorporated public local bodies governed by a board of elected trustees. Improvement districts provide services such as water and fire protection services (also known as “objects”) for the benefit of landowners within their boundary.

Improvement districts are not the same as municipalities or regional districts, as improvement districts may only provide the services authorized in their letters patent.

For more information about Improvement Districts, click HERE.

Stats

TYPE OF CALL 2023 2024
First Responder/Ambulance assists 160 156
Alarm Activations/False alarms 6 9
Motor Vehicle Incidents (MVI) 6 4
Chimney Fires 2 3
Wildland/ Beach/Brush Fires 4 1
Hydro Trouble 14 19
Hazardous Materials 0 2
Structure Fire/Smoke in Building 4 9
Vehicle Fires 0 0
Marine Fire 0 1
Public Service/Auto launch 5 2
Assist Other Agency 0 3
Marine Incident 1 1
Duty Officer 59 26
Rescue 0 5
TOTAL 261 241

Frequently Asked Questions - NEW

No. When the proposed new fire hall #2 in Heriot Bay is built, the boundaries of the Fire Protection District will remain the same. The boundaries were created when the South Quadra Island Fire Protection District was created and are detailed in the Letters Patent. They can be viewed on the map found HERE.

Yes. The Quadra Island Fire Department has agreements in place to provide services OUTSIDE OF ITS BOUNDARIES as follows:

  • Contract with the We Wai Kai to provide fire protection services to Cape Mudge/Tsa Kwa Luten and Rebecca Spit.
  • Contract with BC Wildfire to respond to wildfires UPON REQUEST.
  • Contract with Emergency Health Services (EHS) to provide assistance in particular circumstances (e.g. cardiac arrest) UPON REQUEST.
  • Contract with Emergency Management BC to provide road rescue in the case of a motor vehicle incident.

Yes, the construction budget with estimates of all costs is part of the Information Package that was submitted to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. Please see page 13 of the Information Package, found on the Documents page.

No. The proposed new fire hall #2 is actually a very basic fire hall without “bells and whistles.” It only has what is required of a fire hall that meets today’s standards and can act as a command centre in the event of an emergency. Indeed, most of the cost of construction is for non-discretionary items that are required as per modern standards for fire halls. The Fire Chiefs and Trustees on Quadra are quite frugal and have made every effort to save money when possible in the construction and maintenance requirements. They are also committed to “getting it right” the first time to avoid expensive additions and changes down the road.

Here are the basics that the proposed new fire hall will include:

  • It will provide storage space for firefighting apparatus (vehicles) and equipment, including equipment for fighting wildfires.
  • It will meet current building standards as well as seismic post-disaster standards and will be equipped and ready to serve as a command centre in an emergency.
  • It will meet WorkSafeBC requirements for gear storage, cleaning, and the decontamination of members and firefighting equipment as part of efforts to reduce the risk of job-related cancers.
  • It will have separate areas for radio communications, mechanical, electrical, gear, storage, offices, and laundry (separation is required but not possible in the current Fire Hall #2).
  • It will have water and septic, as well as in ground bulk water storage for fire fighting. Note: the new water storage capacity is what will make it possible to apply for “superior shuttle accreditation” in the future, which, if received, would lower home insurance costs for people living within a certain distance of the hall. (Please ask your insurance provider to see if you could benefit based on where you live.)
  • It will have the space to build dormitories. These could be used for such things as crews coming from off island to assist during a major event (e.g. wildfire or earthquake), crews needed onsite during a major wind or snow storm, or providing accommodation to future staff who do not live on island.
  • It will have a kitchen. This is also a basic requirement if you are going to have crews or staff staying overnight or working long shifts when assisting with a major event or storm. It will also provide the option for coffee and food now when our members are attending calls, holding meetings or training events, or in need of some time to hang out and decompress in private after a call. Of course, it will also be very useful when hosting or participating in community events which is a big part of the work of the Fire Department on Quadra Island.

No. If the borrowing of funds is not approved through the AAP, the Board of Trustees may proceed with holding a Referendum or a Special Meeting. Either of these options will require 50% of eligible property owners to oppose the bylaw, as compared to 10% with the AAP.

If the borrowing of funds is still not approved, the Trustees will have to go back to the drawing board. However, they really don’t have many other options as the fire hall they are currently proposing is already quite basic, and they must replace the current fire hall #2. Meanwhile, the costs of construction will go up, meaning that the amount that needs to be borrowed could go up as well. So acting now is the best choice in terms of keeping costs as low as possible.

Yes, we have researched all of the fire halls that are currently being proposed, constructed, or have recently been completed on Vancouver Island. Our proposed fire hall comes in as one of the least expensive. Here are ALL of the comparables we found on Vancouver Island:

  • Hornby Island $2.54 (4 fire truck bays plus ambulance bay: completed in 2018)
  • Mount Washington $2.5 million (addition of 2 truck bays to existing building; projected completion 2026)
  • Cumberland $4.2 million (3 bays, additional space for museum, training, gym, lounge: completed 2021)
  • Crofton (North Cowichan) $4.8 million (addition of training, administrative and equipment storage spaces to existing 4 truck bays; completed 2024)
  • Union Bay $6.3 million (construction to begin in 2025)
  • Dashwood (volunteer fire dept north of Qualicum Beach) $6.46 million (2 bays, projected completion 2025)
  • Cowichan Bay $14.6 million (projected completion 2025)
  • Saanich $44.6 million (projected completion in fall 2025)

No. The Quadra Island Fire Department is an Improvement District.  Although it exists within the boundaries of the SRD, as an Improvement District it is an independent entity with its own governing body, the Board of Trustees.  The SRD does not have jurisdiction over fire services within the boundaries of an Improvement District, nor can the Fire Department receive money from the SRD to provide services.

The construction of the proposed new fire hall #2 will ensure the continuance and sustainability of fire protection and first responder services on Quadra Island.  The current hall is no longer adequate, safe, or compliant.  It is no longer up for the job and must be replaced.  If it is not replaced and fire services on Quadra are only provided out of the current hall in Quathiaski Cove, services will be much reduced in terms of equipment and trucks, and the response times to Heriot Bay and area will be much higher.  So it’s not so much about “better” service, rather it is about the ability to be able to continue to provide service out of Heriot Bay.  However, operating out of a modern and better equipped hall, with increased water storage capacity, will likely result in a better service, better ability to respond in a major emergency, better ability to recruit and retain firefighters, and will enable the pursuit of “superior shuttle accreditation.”

House insurance rates are calculated based on the location of the house with respect to distance from the responding fire station and distance from recognized water supplies (hydrants, etc.), The replacement of fire hall #2 will enable the Quadra Island Fire Department to continue to provide service out of two fire halls. This means that house insurance rates will continue to be lower than they would be if there is only one hall on Quadra.

However, the Fire Department is also working to address the issue of recognized water supplies as they would like to provide better fire protection AND further reduced house insurance rates. The Department is looking at how they can achieve Superior Tanker Shuttle Accreditation (STSA) as soon as possible. While this is a separate project from the fire hall #2 replacement, any and every opportunity is being looked at in order to achieve STSA.

Superior Tanker Shuttle Accreditation is a program of the Fire Underwriters Survey that recognizes a fire department’s ability to shuttle water by way of tanker trucks to fight fires in areas without municipal hydrants. Insurers utilize the information provided by the Fire Underwriters Survey to set property insurance rates in Canada. If it can be achieved on Quadra, STSA would reduce current home insurance rates within a certain distance of the halls. Please contact your insurance provider for more information as each provider has their own rules about this.

National Fire Protection Association Standards:
When constructing a fire station, the primary industry standard that we are required to follow is set by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) through their “NFPA 1550 – Standard for Emergency Responder Health and Safety.” It outlines detailed requirements for everything from building layout, apparatus bays, and living quarters, to safety features, ensuring functionality and safety for firefighters.

Key aspects of the NFPA 1550 standard include:
– Building layout: Specific design criteria for apparatus bays, including size and access points to accommodate fire trucks efficiently.
– Living quarters: Requirements for sleeping areas, kitchen facilities, and common areas for firefighters, considering their work schedules.
– Training facilities: Dedicated space for training exercises and equipment practice.
– Fire safety features: Strict regulations on fire alarm systems, sprinkler systems, and fire-resistant materials throughout the building.
– Environmental considerations: Guidelines for ventilation systems, hazardous material storage areas, and waste disposal.

Other important factors to consider when building a fire station:
– Local building codes: We must always comply with local building codes and regulations in addition to the NFPA standards.
– Site conditions: We must assess the site’s topography, access points, and potential hazards and those things must inform the design.
– Community needs: We must consider the specific needs of the community, such as the size of the fire department and the types of emergency calls we respond to.

Compliance with the British Columbia Building Code (BCBC):
When constructing a new fire hall in British Columbia, the relevant building code is the “British Columbia Building Code” (BCBC), which specifies requirements for fire safety measures, including seismic standards, ensuring the building can withstand post-disaster conditions, and must comply with the latest edition of the code, currently being the BC Codes 2024, which came into effect on March 8, 2024.

Key points about the BC Building Code for new fire halls:
– Must be in compliance with NFPA standards
– Must be in compliance with post-disaster standards: The BCBC mandates that new emergency services buildings, like fire halls, are built to withstand post-disaster scenarios, meaning they need to be designed with enhanced seismic resistance.
– Specific fire safety requirements: The Code includes detailed regulations regarding fire separations, exit strategies, sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, and access for fire department equipment within the building.

Do you have a question for us?

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