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Vancouver declares Fire Stations 1 and 2 surplus

Action is part of effort to relocate and rebuild four of them

By Amy Fischer, Columbian City Government Reporter
Published: March 17, 2015, 12:00am
2 Photos
Vancouver Fire Station 2 on Main Street is one of two stations that will be replaced with a new station at a new site.
Vancouver Fire Station 2 on Main Street is one of two stations that will be replaced with a new station at a new site. Photo Gallery

The City Council declared Fire Stations 1 and 2 surplus Monday, following a study recommending the city of Vancouver rebuild and relocate four fire stations to improve response times.

Once all four stations have been rebuilt, 90 to 100 percent of all existing public roads in town will be within a 6-minute drive of a fire station, according to a report a consultant from Citygate Associates of Folsom, Calif., presented to the City Council at a workshop Monday.

The city has been planning to move and rebuild Fire Stations 1 and 2 but hasn’t settled on the new locations. The stations are too old and small to be remodeled and are likely to collapse in a major earthquake, according to prior fire station relocation studies.

The next step is to choose an architect to design the new stations.

In addition to Stations 1 and 2, the Citygate study recommends the city replace and relocate two other stations, 3 and 6, to improve response times. Also, if the city continues to grow over the next 20 to 30 years, at least one additional new station or major interconnected roadway will need to be built to improve coverage to station areas 4 and 7, the report said.

Based on three years’ worth of incidents, the greatest need for emergency medical and fire services lies along Fourth Plain Boulevard between approximately Main Street and St. Johns Road. That information is a key driver in determining where to move Station 1, now at 900 W. Evergreen Blvd., and Station 2, at 400 E. 37th St. near the Safeway on Main Street. The new sites must be larger than an acre.

The city has 10 stations in its service area, which includes city limits plus Clark County Fire District 5 (Glenwood, Sifton, Proebstel and Orchards.) Seven of the stations need seismic upgrades.

“It’s always nice to see us out in front,” Mayor Pro Tem Larry Smith said of the planning effort.

The fire station replacements could cost an estimated $27 million.

Amy M.E. Fischer: 360-735-4508; amy.fischer@columbian.com; twitter.com/amymefischer

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Columbian City Government Reporter