New WFPS station in Waverley West uses innovative modular design to get crews stationed in the community

It took only a few weeks to assemble the new fire-paramedic station in Waverley West, the first of its kind in Winnipeg. The station is made of modular parts that arrived on semi-trucks. Construction crews assembled the parts on-site at 130 Eaglewood Dr.

Waverley west temporary WFPS station
The new fire-paramedic station in Waverley West is the first of its kind in Winnipeg

“We needed a station in Waverley West,” said Tom Wallace, Deputy Chief, Support Service, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.

“This is an innovative way to ensure crews are in the neighbourhood as soon as possible while we work on the permanent station.”

While the construction of the temporary station may have been relatively fast, the site preparation and planning took a little longer.

“This is the first time we’ve used a station like this, and we had to go through all the steps to make sure it met our needs. It still needed pavement and water and electricity hookups,” said Wallace.

The new station has two bays, one for a fire engine and one for an ambulance. It also has all the same features as most other modern fire-paramedic stations in the city. From the inside, it can be hard to tell it is made of modular parts.

Call volumes continue to increase in Waverley West,” said Wallace. “We need to make sure we have crews stationed where they can get help to residents when they need it.”

In 2020, Winnipeg City Council approved the 2020 Strategic Direction. This is a long-term plan to ensure current and future demands on the fire-paramedic service are met. It includes recommendations that span decades.

One major recommendation in the plan is to reduce the total number of WFPS stations from 30 to 24. This includes a new station in Waverley West. The report said that if the stations were located strategically, response times in the city could be faster.

Adding this new temporary station gets us one step closer to completing the recommendations in the report, Wallace said.

A new permanent station in Waverley West is planned for the corner of Bison Drive and Ruth Crossing between Kenaston Boulevard and Waverley Street.

Once the permanent station is complete, the units assigned to the temporary station will move there. The temporary modular station can then be disassembled and moved somewhere else in the city where it is needed next.

The entire cost of the temporary station was $6.8 million. This includes the cost of the building, assembly, and site preparation.

“Since we’ve already paid for the station, we’d only be paying for maintenance, site development, and assembly and disassembly in the future,” said Wallace.

A new WFPS station is also in the works for Windsor Park. It is expected to open in the coming months. These new stations follow the closure of the old Station 9 at 864 Marion St.

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