Fernie Fire and Emergency Services

08/04/2025

08/02/2025

🚒Fire Hall Project Recap and Next Steps:

Last month, at the July 15, 2025 meeting, Council approved the project budget and funding strategy for the urgently needed new Fire Hall.

📍Site Selection
In January of 2024, after extensive pre-planning analysis and public engagement, 1500-5th Ave. (a portion of Prentice Park) was selected as the site for the new fire hall. This site provides a number of advantages including:
-Quick Access to the highway to improve response times.
-Flexible Site Layout and adaptability for growth.
-Space for future co-use opportunities.

🤔What about the ball diamond?
The approved budget includes $100,000 for upgrades to local ball diamonds to offset impacts to Servello Field.
The City has been working with ball user groups to plan upgrades to other fields and consider long-term options for developing more ball diamonds in Fernie.

🧯What's next?
• Apply to the SPF grant before the September 12 deadline.
• Continue to refine the design as we move to a Class B cost estimate.
• Finalize the funding elements and approvals for the required loan.
• Prepare the site for construction and finalize the construction contract.
• Spring 2026, break ground on the new fire hall.
• In 2027, the City of Fernie will have an operational fire hall designed to meet the current and future needs of our community.

Follow along with the Fire Hall Project at letstalk.fernie.ca/FireHall

04/16/2025

🚒The Fire Hall Replacement Project Survey is live!

👂We want to hear from you. Help us understand your questions, concerns, and priorities as we plan for an urgently needed new fire hall in Fernie.

🗣️Your input will help shape our communications and outreach ahead of a borrowing referendum this fall.

ℹ️ For more information on the Fire Hall Replacement Project and to complete the survey visit: https://letstalk.fernie.ca/firehall
📅Survey is open until May 5.

04/12/2025

🤝Thanks again to everyone who came out to last night's Fire Hall Open House!

📆In case you missed it, there is another opportunity to join us on Saturday, April 12, from 1:00 pm -3:00 pm.

🚒 Tour the temporary Fire Hall, run through a mock response, and learn about plans to build an urgently needed new Fire Hall!

👩‍🚒Connect with Fernie Professional Fire Fighters Local 2827 for a firsthand look at the current facility and the operational challenges faced by our Fernie Fire and Emergency Services team.

📍Temporary Fire Hall location - 1492b Railway Ave.

For more information on the Fire Hall Replacement project, visit letstalk.fernie.ca/firehall

04/03/2025

📨You’re invited!

🚒Join us to tour the temporary fire hall and learn about plans to build an urgently needed new fire hall!

👩‍🚒Connect with Fernie Professional Fire Fighters Local 2827 for a firsthand look at the current facility and the operational challenges faced by our Fernie Fire and Emergency Services team.

🕜Two dates!
Thursday, April 10: 5:00pm - 7:00 pm
Saturday, April 12: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

📍Temporary Fire Hall location - 1492b Railway Ave.

For more information on the Fire Hall Replacement project, visit letstalk.fernie.ca/firehall

03/08/2025

Time change is a good time to change your batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detector

☀️Daylight Saving Time starts Sunday, March 9.
⏰ Fernie Fire and Emergency Services would like to remind everyone when moving the clocks ahead this weekend, to also check the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors 🔋

11/26/2024

🚒🎄Tomorrow night, Fernie Fire and Emergency Services will be joining with other local Emergency Service Providers for their Annual Holiday Food Drive.

🥫From 4:30-8:00pm, you'll hear sirens and see lights flashing as they make their way through Fernie neighbourhoods collecting donations for The Salvation Army Fernie Foodbank.

🛍️You can participate in this important annual campaign by placing non-perishable food items together in a bag or box in a visible location on your front porch for collection.

🍝If you miss them in your neighbourhood, please consider dropping off a donation at the Salvation Army Food Bank on 2nd Ave.

09/12/2024

👨‍🚒This week, Council voted to move forward the Fire Hall Project based on the final conceptual design for a purpose-built, needs-based facility that will meet the fire and emergency response requirements of our community.

🚒The urgently needed new Fire Hall will provide a home for our Fernie Fire Department. The new facility would be built to the required post-disaster construction standards to ensure that in an emergency we can respond, and would be operationally efficient to allow for the quick emergency response required to keep our community safe.

💰Let’s talk dollars and cents – The price tag for a new Fire Hall designed to meet our specific needs, and taking into consideration our location, has a high-level cost-estimate of approximately $20million.

📄What’s next? We need to get into design and choosing the right type of delivery method so we can get to a more certain cost (the initial price tag is based on a Class-D Cost estimate that will be refined as we move through the detailed design process.)
To fund the project we’ll be looking at a combination of borrowing, reserves, contributions from regional partners, exploring other funding streams, and potential disposition of City-owned properties.

🗳️In order to borrow the money needed to build a new fire hall we’ll need to go to referendum to get the approval of City of Fernie residents and property owners (more to come on that.) In the meantime, we’ll be doing required analysis and appraisals on City lands that could be considered for sale, and working towards a more refined design with a more precise cost estimate.

Read the full planning report:https://fernie.civicweb.net/FileStorage/13D9ABA79F4A42498C8D308835270AD7-Attachment%201%20-%20Arcadis%20City%20of%20Fernie%20Firehall%20Fin.pdf
Watch the meeting here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/3kEJkHsNg3C33NbT/
Follow along with the Fire Hall project: letstalk.fernie.ca/fire-hall-replacement

07/11/2024

🔥⚠️Effective at 1:00 pm mountain time on Friday, July 12th and until further notice, there is a campfire ban within the City of Fernie and Southeast Fire Centre. All permits allowing Backyard Fire Pits within the City of Fernie are cancelled.

❗To learn more about fire restrictions, visit https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/fire-bans-and-restrictions/southeast-fire-centre-bans

11/21/2023

Be prepared for snow and winter storms when driving! Check www.drivebc.ca before you head out, and be sure to travel with a vehicle emergency kit that includes:

• Grab-and-go bag containing water, non-perishable food, and first aid supplies
• Windshield scraper and snow brush
• Extra windshield washer fluid
• Spare tire, wheel wrench and jack
• Shovel and traction mat, sand or kitty litter
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Battery jumper cables
• Extra clothing and footwear
• Flares and matches or lighter
• Fuel line antifreeze
• Tire chains and gloves

More winter emergency preparedness tips at: PreparedBC.ca/WinterWeather

10/18/2023

Come and see how the project is going. We would appreciate your input

🔥We've been working hard on the Fire Hall Replacement Project, and we're excited to invite you to an open house on October 26 to share our progress on the project, and get your input!

🤷‍♀️If you're on the fence, here's some reasons why should you stop by:

🚒Learn about Fernie Fire and Emergency Services and the urgent need to build a new Fire Hall to serve our community
🗺️See the potential sites for the new Fire Hall, understand the site selection process, and give your input on the shortlisted sites.
🧑🏻‍🤝‍🧑🏽Understand opportunities for potential co-uses and partnerships as part of the project, and tell us what's important to you.
👩‍🚒Chat with the Community Working Group, City Project Team, and consultants about the project, and ask any questions you might have!

🗓️Thursday, October 26, 6pm-8pm
📍Senior Citizen's Drop In Centre.

If you aren't able to attend the Open House there will be an online opportunity to provide feedback following the event. Learn more about the project here: https://letstalk.fernie.ca/fire-hall-replacement