Whitby Fire Hall #2 Renovation and Addition

The Town of Whitby required a renovation and expansion of their existing Fire Hall 2 to align with current strategic priorities, fire hall standards, and to meet the requirements of the Town’s 10-year Masterplan. The facility, which was originally constructed in 1965 and expanded in 1990, was expanded on the north side with a 1,000-sf addition, and extensive renovations to over 4,000 sf of the existing first floor. The project included renovations to sleeping quarters, washrooms, change rooms, offices, kitchen, living area, workspace, gear storage room, apparatus bay, and extractor room. Upgrades to HVAC electrical systems and the installation of a new sprinkler system were also included.

Maintaining uninterrupted operations for Fire Services was of the utmost importance. J.J. McGuire undertook extensive planning to organize construction activities and staging to allow for separated site areas. A detailed traffic plan was implemented, allowing for a drive-through entrance into the construction work area which avoided any interference with Fire Services call-outs. The complete electrical upgrade for the facility required careful coordination with the construction team to adhere to a maximum window of 24-hours for the switch over. A detailed hour-by-hour schedule was created to demonstrate how the switch-over would be achieved while maintaining continuous functions for emergency services.

The feasibility of this critical renovation was greatly challenged at the outset of the project by the outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic. J.J. McGuire developed an extensive safety and COVID19 management approach in collaboration with Fire Services personnel. The developed protocols helped to ensure the safety of the Fire Station’s essential workers, as well as construction personnel. Two isolated zones were created and maintained within the facility to successfully avoid overlap between construction crews and firefighters. Due to the close collaboration and commitment of Fire Services personnel and the construction team, the project was completed two weeks ahead of schedule.