Airdrie’s first permanent firehall since its incorporation as a city had its grand opening as firefighter Ryan Coslovich performed the chain-cutting ceremony with the Jaws of Life, Aug. 4.
About 100 people attended for the grand opening and a free beef on a bun lunch.
Those in attendance heard speeches from the city’s new Fire Chief Kevin Weinberger, Mayor Peter Brown and Alberta’s Transportation Minister Luke Ouellette.
“It’s a real pleasure to be here on such a great occasion for the City of Airdrie,” said Ouellette.
“Whenever we get to cut a ribbon or open a building like this, it really is about quality of life and safety of all Airdrie citizens and Albertans travelling down the highway or visiting your beautiful city.”
Brown thanked Assistant Fire Chief Ken Hubbard for his interim role in the absence of a full-time chief.
“It’s through his leadership that we’ve been able to sustain such a great level of service for our residents,” he said.
He later told the new chief he picked a winner in Airdrie and said the city is “the place to be.”
Weinberger addressed the crowd and said he hopes to bring his most recent experience as deputy chief in Fort McMurray to the people of Airdrie.
“Fire service is built on tradition and pride,” said Weinberger.
“Opening this building today is the beginning of another chapter of Airdrie’s relatively young emergency services history.”
Children were given hands-on tours of the freshly washed fire trucks, learned about fire safety in houses and were given free plastic helmets during the opening.
The fire department has been operational since May and features sustainable energy initiatives, making it Leadership in Energy and Efficiency Design (LEED) Silver certified.
The hall has solar panels on its roof, a solar water heating system, low E glass to prevent heat accumulation, LED exterior lights, adjustable windows to reduce air conditioner usage and additional insulation to prevent heat and cold transfers.
Gibbs Gage Architects built the hall and associate Paul Burns was on hand for the opening and said the people deserve the new hall.
“It’s a longtime coming for them,” he said. “For the money they had, they did really well with it.”
The cost of the new hall was $3.9 million. The City of Airdrie paid for 43 per cent of the project.
The remaining money came from the Province. The fire station is one of two facilities in Airdrie.
The second, currently under construction, is located on the city’s west side beside the Rocky View Education Centre and is expected to be completed in November.
For more information, call the Airdrie Fire Department non-emergency line at 403-948-8880.
