Canby Fire Chief Jim Davis appeared before the Canby City Council recently to update citizens regarding the 10-year, $4.9 million capital bond voters passed last November.
One of the central components of that proposal was a new north side medical response station, and Chief Davis said much progress has been made on the station being located on city-owned land immediately south of the Canby Public Works Department and Canby Wastewater Treatment Plant on North Redwood Street.
The long-term lease agreement between the Canby Fire District and the city of Canby went before the fire board Wednesday night, and it will be presented to the city council on Aug. 7. Though the land and the lease agreement is one of the most important puzzle pieces in executing the district’s first-ever capital bond proposal, it’s far from the only iron they’ve had in the fire, as Chief Davis explains.
The purpose of the new station is to improve emergency medical response north of the railroad tracks. About 70 percent of the district’s calls are medical, and responders can be delayed several minutes if they encounter a train while attempting to cross the tracks to the north side.
However, the north side station will actually become the temporary home of all CFD firefighters and operations while the headquarters on South Pine is being remodeled — another component of the bond project promised to voters.
The main station was originally built in 1996, and its roof, floor and other critical areas are in need of serious maintenance or repair. Also, staffing levels for the district have more than doubled since the station was first constructed. The renovations would not only expand, but also rework, staff quarters to give firefighters more privacy while on duty.
The Canby Fire District covers 54 square miles and serves over 30,000 residents and businesses in the towns of Canby and Barlow, as well as the surrounding area.