Victoria’s new $36M disaster-proof public safety headquarters includes 130 housing units

Victoria has unveiled the new home for its fire department and for residents with lower incomes who are in need of housing.

The new $36-million public safety building is equipped with six bays for fire vehicles, a decontamination room with a state-of-the-art ventilation system and Victoria’s first purpose-built emergency operations centre.

The 40,500-square-foot downtown facility replaces the former Yates Street fire and rescue headquarters, which has served Victoria since 1959 and is about two-thirds the size of the new building. The new Johnson Street fire hall was built to remain operable after a disaster strikes as its seismic load dwarfs that of typical buildings.

Eight floors above the fire hall in the 12-storey building host 130 purpose-built housing units for low- and moderate-income seniors, families and individuals, which will be operated by Pacifica Housing.

The building is also a downtown location for paramedics as BC Emergency Health Services will operate a standalone, two-ambulance bay from the location.

“Downtown is growing with more buildings, workers and residents. The new facility meets current and future needs for an urban fire hall and rescue centre,” the city said in a release.

The public safety centre location provides valuable access to primary north-south and east-west emergency response routes, the city said. It includes the installation of a traffic pre-emption system at the intersection of Johnson and Cook streets. The system clears the intersection heading east, north and south and allows fire trucks and ambulances to leave the facility and the immediate area, which the city said minimizes the need to activate sirens.

The public safety site has individual dorms to be more gender inclusive, the city said. It also has additional dorms to accommodate future growth in fire operations.

The city said it will continue to explore future uses for the Yates Street fire hall, but the location will continue to support fleet maintenance for the next two years. The downtown fire headquarters joins the department’s two other halls, located in the James Bay and Hillside Quadra neighbourhoods.

Victoria fire – the first career department established west of Toronto – includes 121 members across divisions covering administration, fire prevention, training, suppression and emergency management divisions.

The city said the new facility didn’t impact property taxes as it was funded through the debt reduction reserve.

READ: Man suffers serious injuries after motorcycle rammed, sent through Langford home