An engineer's report this week questioned whether Squamish's backup emergency operations centre will remain standing after an earthquake.
In light of the magnitude 9 temblor that devastated Japan this spring, Squamish fire officials requested that the District of Squamish (DOS) examine Alex Munro Fire Hall's structural integrity while also inspecting the hall's leaky roof. A consultant's report prepared in response to that request raised concerns about the 12-year-old building's ability to withstand a large earthquake.
The report highlighted the hall's steel-rack construction. Such metal buildings are not ideal for post-disaster facilities, the report stated.
"There is a series of bad news with the tower," Brian Barnett, the district's general manager of engineering and parks, told council on Tuesday (July 26).
The hose tower is not braced and its foundation is dubious, the report stated, adding that it would take significant mitigation to fix and that could be pricey. As things stand, during an earthquake the tower could topple over the Clarke Drive fire hall, the consultant concluded.
"This is the backup emergency centre," Barnett told council, noting the primary Squamish Emergency Operation Centre - in the complex that houses the RCMP detachment -is built on a flood plain.
"If there is an earthquake," he said, referring to the Clarke Drive facility, "we want that building standing."
Squamish's main fire hall on Tantalus Road is also in "questionable" condition, Coun. Rob Kirkham noted. In this year's Facility Condition Assessment Report, the 33-year-old building was ranked at the bottom of the heap out of 17 municipal structures.
"We need to have an emergency service available for use in the time of an emergency," Kirkham said.
District staff recommended council spend an extra $50,000 to complete seismic upgrades on Alex Munro Fire Hall, in conjunction with forking out $103,735 to fix the roof. Coun. Corinne Lonsdale suggested it might be prudent to prioritize the fire hall upgrades, especially considering the concerns raised in the report about the hall's tower.
"Fifty-thousand is not change to me, particularly when we are going to have to borrow it," Lonsdale said.
Mayor Greg Gardner said one has to be careful when speaking of seismic codes. The Clarke Drive fire hall meets seismic standards required of the building when it was originally constructed, he said.
Barnett said federal building code regulations were revised in 2005, but the district is only required to meet the regulations in place when its buildings are construction, not the current ones.
After some debate, council voted to approve funding for the Clarke Drive fire hall roof repairs, which will increase its snow load capacity by 40 per cent, and for the seismic upgrades.
