The City of Martensville has given its stamp of approval to a contract for a firefighter training facility that will be shared with the City of Saskatoon and City of Warman.
Martensville City Council voted to approve the contract at a meeting on Tuesday, May 7.
The City of Warman is currently reviewing, but has not yet approved, the contract.
Construction of the Regional Fire Training Grounds, located on a 40-acre parcel of land two kilometers south of Martensville in the RM of Corman Park, began in September, 2022, with the first phase of the project completed in the summer of 2023.
The second phase of the project, construction of an indoor training facility large enough to include a training arena, classroom, meeting rooms and administrative areas, is slated to take place in the future, although a timeline has not yet been set.
The new regional training grounds will replace separate training areas currently operated by each municipality’s fire department.
Under the terms of the agreement for the new regional training grounds, each municipality will contribute financially to its capital and operating costs.
The regional facility is aimed at strengthening the partnership of the three fire departments by sharing resources and specialized training courses.
The RM of Corman Park is also a partner in the regional training grounds through its existing fire protection agreements with Warman, Martensville and Saskatoon fire departments. (The RM also has agreements with Osler, Dalmeny and Langham fire departments.)
The new regional facility will also provide expanded training opportunities, with additional equipment for all three fire departments.
According to the City of Saskatoon Fire Department website, the regional facility provides a purpose-built, controlled environment for realistic firefighter training with an emphasis on safety.
Under the terms of the contract, the City of Saskatoon will be the major funding partner, contributing $4.25 million towards its construction. Saskatoon Fire Department will also utilize the majority of hours for training.
Martensville and Warman will split the remainder of the cost.
Martensville Fire Department has guaranteed access of 112 hours annually at no extra cost, with additional hours on a rental basis if necessary.
Martensville Fire Chief Kurtis Dyck told the May 7 council meeting that the number of hours available to his department under the contract is sufficient to meet their needs.
The Martensville portion of the capital cost construction of phase 1 is $200,300, and will be partially paid with in-kind contributions of assets relocated from the existing Martensville Fire Training grounds. The estimated value of the in-kind assets is about $100,000. The city has also allocated $100,000 toward the facility in its current budget.
The establishment of the regional training facility supports working agreements with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, allowing Saskatoon Fire Department the ability to certify firefighter skills for staff and explore pre-employment training and education for potential candidates. This will create the opportunity for future firefighters to receive their pre-employment certifications in Saskatchewan.