The Municipality of Cumberland has issued a Request for Proposals to design and build new fire stations in Parrsboro and Springhill.
The municipality issued the RFP on Sept. 21 with a closing date of Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2023.
“Improving the fire service has been a priority of council since we were elected in 2020,” Mayor Murray Scott said. “We conducted a major review of our fire service in 2022 and Goudreault and Associates provided us with a framework to address the needs they identified.”
On Sept. 13, municipal council met to approve budget amendments to increase the cost of the two projects from the budgeted $2.4 million to approximately $6.35 million with the additional money being provided by borrowing over a 20-year period.
The municipality is transitioning the fire service into a hub model whereby stations in Springhill, Parrsboro, Truemanville and Pugwash will be designated as support hubs, supporting training, logistics and other services to other local stations around them.
The municipality took another step forward during its September council meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, when council approved the purchase of a piece of property on the corner of the Farrell Road and Templar Street in Parrsboro for $100,000 plus HST to be the site of the new fire station in that community.
Land has been acquired in the Springhill industrial park for the Springhill fire station.
The goal is to have the Springhill fire station occupied by Oct. 31, 2024, and the Parrsboro fire station on Jan. 31, 2025.
The municipality made significant investments in the fire service as part of the 2023-24 budget, investing $400,000 to provide bunker gear, breathing apparatus and radios for county fire departments. As well, $1.5 million has been set aside to purchase fire apparatus such as vehicles.
“I’m pleased that we have made a significant financial investment in our fire service through the purchase of bunker gear, breathing apparatus and radios while also setting aside another $1.5 million to purchase vehicles and other necessary equipment,” the mayor said.