Plans for a new fire station in Salisbury have taken a step forward.
A sign unveiling was held on Monday night to unveil the new location on Main Street, just east of Fredericton Road.
Salisbury Mayor Rob Campbell says the need for a new facility was identified over five years ago, ” The current site is very old, and can’t accommodate the space from an equipment perspective or accommodate the needs of the fire department today and it is rated in an unsafe area because the area has grown around it, with schools and kids and traffic.”
The intent is for the new building to be large enough to address these equipment storage issues and provide the necessary room for growth in membership. “It will also be equipped with drive-through parking to improve safety by eliminating the risks of backing up. We will also be moving away from the schools, which can be very dangerous at times when students are being picked up or dropped off,” says Fire Chief MacLeod.
The existing fire hall on Douglas Street has been used for several decades. Salisbury Fire Rescue was founded in 1973.
The pandemic also slowed down the process and plans for a new fire station.
Mayor Campbell says they’re excited to be moving forward, but because of municipal reform, they will now have to wait another year to take the next steps, “Unfortunately with the municipal reform and all of the communities being brought together for a new municipality in 2023, we can’t proceed with the next steps in the process until 2023.”
The department consists of 25 members and boasts five response vehicles including its “Silver Fox,” a 2019 Freightliner Multi-Purpose Pumper-Tanker.
“Not only are we one of the fastest-growing communities in New Brunswick, Salisbury acts as a gateway to Atlantic Canada with higher automobile and transport traffic than almost every other area in the province. With more vehicles than ever passing by and through our Village, it is Salisbury Fire Rescue that responds to a rising number of accidents each year,” says Mayor Campbell.
