New fire stations needed near Stavanger and Goulds, says city councillor

St. John's needs new fire stations in the northeast of the city and the Goulds area in order to meet required response times, says a St. John's councillor.

Art Puddister, councillor at large, plans to table a motion next week to build a satellite fire station near Stavanger Drive to meet the growing population and commercial activity in the area.

The motion also includes funding for a new station in Goulds with the ability to service Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove.

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The new stations would allow firefighters to meet the ideal response time of six minutes from the time of a call.

"There are certain parts of the northeast in particular where we can't meet those times," Puddister said. "The way the city has expanded into the northeast — down towards Logy Bay, Torbay and so on, we do need extra resources in those areas."

Puddister plans to put forth his motion at council next Monday.

Areas have grown and changed

The idea has been discussed before, but talk ramped up again two weeks ago after a meeting between Puddister, St. John's Regional Fire Department Chief Jerry Peach and the firefighters' union.

The Goulds area was amalgamated with the city in 1993, and firefighting responsibilities were given to the SJRFD.

The department staffs the Goulds firehouse with a captain and three firefighters, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Outside of those hours, volunteer firefighters respond.

Puddister's motion would see money set aside in the city's 2017 capital works budget for the new stations.

A second motion would give volunteer members of the Goulds' squad first chance at full-time employment, granted they meet hiring requirements.

The regional fire department operates on a $33-million budget and has eight stations, with the most recent opening in Paradise in August. The new additions would add about $1.8 million to that cost.

"Obviously that [budget] is going to go up, but to me it's something that needs to be addressed," Puddister said.

Several locations have been suggested for a new Goulds fire station, while a northeast satellite station would likely be located on Major's Path, off Torbay Road.