The integrated Emergency Services Complex finally has come into view for the public.

Drawings of the upcoming facility were released at Northern College Wednesday morning, a building that will house academic features, along with the Whitney Fire Station, Cochrane EMS services and an office and training room for Health Sciences North base hospital.

The design, by JL Richards, details a 40,000 square foot facility to the east of the residence parking lot where a soccer field currently stands.

The ambulance and firetruck bays would line up with Highway 101 at the existing traffic lights opposite the Porcupine Mall. That portion will serve emergency vehicles only.

The opposite side would be considered the main entrance for visitors, workers and students alike. Access to that parking lot will come via the existing Northern College entrance ways.

JL Richards senior architect Raimondo Cuda says the project was about the integration of students and professionals, adding it’s one of the first of it’s kind.

“You’re going to school, but you learn first-hand from the professionals,” he said.

Cuda says while the design keeps the two entities separate, students and professionals mix at the entrance way in a lounge setting.

“There’s a glass wall, where students can visually see into the EMS bay, and EMS workers and fire department can come into the student lounge area,” he adds, “But the students can’t go on the other side.”

Students from Northern’s Police Foundations, Paramedic and Pre-Service Fire programs will utilize the new facility.

While the detailed drawings of inside weren’t available, what will be inside was detailed in writing.

The student area will carry numerous amenities, including:

  • HD video classrooms
  • fire, ambulance and police bays
  • mock courtroom
  • mock jail cell
  • interview and fingerprint rooms
  • training and simulation labs with state of the art training equipment
  • fire tower
  • conference room
  • offices
  • change rooms/washrooms
  • mechanical, electrical, IT and janitorial rooms
  • a mock intersection just outside the facility

(The mock courtroom, according to Northern College President Fred Gibbons, could even be used by professionals if necessary.)

For the professionals, they’ll get some quality features too:

  • Whitney Fire Station: A 4-bay garage (three of them being drive thru), gear storage area, meeting hall, offices, washrooms and a storage room
  • Cochrane District EMS: A 2-bay drive thru garage (can hold four ambulances), paramedic work area, offices and storage area

Moving the Whitney Fire Hall was a point of contention for east end residents.

Black says over a year ago, a group from South Porcupine made it clear they wanted to stay in a standalone facility. But when asked if the city would explore a partnership with one of the two fire halls, the Whitney expressed an interest and things moved forward.

Back in February, city council approved spending $2-million dollars towards the facility by a slim 5-4 vote.

The federal and provincial governments also kicked in $5.5-million dollars each.

Black calls it a “state-of-the-art” development in both look, and the offering of services and training.

Construction is set to begin sometime in July, with the building anticipated to be complete by fall 2018.

Gibbons says the student portion is to be complete by the time students arrive in September 2018.

Filed under: Local News