Haldimand County Council, staff celebrate grand opening of new Caledonia Fire & EMS station

On Saturday, October 18, members of Haldimand County Council, staff and 200+ community members attended the new Caledonia Fire & EMS station for a ceremonial ribbon cutting and open house.  

Attendees were able to participate in guided tours of the new station, enjoy light refreshments, check out the aerial fire truck up close and meet the Community Paramedics. Staff from various emergency services departments were also present to answer questions about their professional journeys and careers in emergency services, including volunteer firefighting. 

Planning for the new, combined 15,640 sq. ft. Caledonia Fire and EMS station has been ongoing since 2014 in response to anticipated growth on both sides of the river. It was determined that the current fire hall would be too small to house future equipment, and wasn’t in a location that could adequately serve the growing population.

“This new fire and EMS station is a major step forward in protecting our community,” said Jason Gallagher, Manager of Emergency Services and Fire Chief. “It will support the emergency response needs of our growing population and provide our team with the modern facilities they need to train, recover, and serve with pride,” he noted.

“There is nothing more important than investing in the safety and well-being of our residents. Council is extremely proud of our dedicated first responders and this new facility ensures they’ll have the resources they need to continue delivering exceptional service,” said Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley.

Now that the new Fire and EMS station is open, the south side station on Kinross St. will remain in service with one fire pumper. The ambulance bay will only be used in case of a major event.

Quick facts

Fire station

The Fire portion of the building consists of approximately 6,372 square feet which includes four (4) drive-thru style bays. The EMS portion consists of approximately 1,432 square feet and two (2) drive-thru style bays. The Fire Services portion of the main building includes offices, space for decontamination including the extractor/dryer room, locker area, washrooms with showers and laundry room, storage and maintenance facilities.

EMS station

The EMS portion includes an office, lunchroom/crew quarters, locker area, washrooms with showers, and stock room. There are approximately 7,836 square feet within the building for shared spaces, including a training/meeting room for 48 persons with a kitchen and chair/table storage, a universal washroom, and space for the display of an antique fire truck.