The Municipality of Cumberland is continuing to invest in its fire services by calling for proposals to build two new fire stations in Parrsboro and Springhill.
Council passed a motion at a special meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, to approve a budget amendment to increase the cost of the two projects from the budgeted $2.4 million set aside in the 2023-24 capital budget to approximately $6.35 million with the additional money being provided through borrowing over a 20-year amortization.
“When we were first elected three years ago, one of our priorities was supporting the fire service in Cumberland County. We believe the volunteer fire service needs modern equipment and modern buildings,” Mayor Murray Scott said. “Based on that we did the fire service review, which showed us where the needs are. The two big things are fire trucks and buildings.”
The Municipality of Cumberland conducted a fire service review in 2022 with Goudreault and Associates completing a report that made more than 200 recommendations designed to improve the provision of fire services in Cumberland County.
From the discussions on the report, council is continuing to implement a hub model of fire service whereby stations in Pugwash, Parrsboro, Truemanville and Springhill will be designated as support hubs, supporting training, logistics and other services to local stations around them.
“We decided as a council to go with a hub system with four hub fire departments that are modern and up to date. Today, we have made the decision to invest more than $6.5 million in two fire department buildings,” Scott said.
The Parrsboro fire hall was built in 1989, while Springhill’s was built in 1972.
The last fire station built within the municipality was in Shinimicas, replacing one destroyed by fire in April 2020.