New station to help Saskatoon Fire Department meet 4-minute response goal

A new, state-of-the-art fire station for Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) in Sutherland is set to be operational by the summer of 2023.

The station will be located along Preston Avenue near 108th Street and will replace the 56-year-old Fire Station No. 5 currently located on Central Avenue in Sutherland.

“The new location was selected with the aim of increasing both safety and efficiency,” Fire Chief Morgan Hackl said in a news release.

"Computer-generated mapping revealed that relocating Station No. 5 closer to the intersection of College Drive and Preston Avenue will put our fire service in a better position to meet the four-minute travel time set out by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and better utilize resources.”

Once fully commissioned, the 10,000-square-foot, two-storey fire station will be equipped with two bays that will house one operational fire engine and another two reserves. The station will be staffed with a fire crew consisting of up to two firefighter-paramedics, two firefighters and one officer, 24 hours per day. An additional two fire inspectors will also be present during daytime hours.

The building will be furnished with a shared cultural space intended for SFD programs, civic departments and the University of Saskatchewan.

When available, the shared space will be open to public bookings for community groups.

With the relocation of Station No. 3 in 2018 and now Station No. 5, a tenth fire station once earmarked for Stonebridge won’t be necessary – saving the city $6 million in construction costs and $3 million each year in operating costs, Hackl said.