The town of Bruno and the RM of Bayne will be getting a new fire hall thanks to a cooperative agreement between the two. Ground has broken for the new hall to go up just across the street from the existing fire hall.
The project had been in the works for a couple of years, but this spring, a funding arrangement was reached, resulting in a split of the cost. That meant work could go ahead, said RM of Bayne Reeve, Danny Picouye.
“We started 3 or 4 months ago trying to get contractors and putting it out on tender,” Picouye explains. “About a month and a half ago, we accepted a tender, and we got the groundwork started on Monday. Hopefully by mid-September, we start working on the building itself.”
The new building was a necessity given the age of its predecessor. It was a must to house their equipment.
“Our existing fire hall was getting pretty old, and we didn’t have enough room to park our equipment in there,” Picouye says. “There’s really no room for any training. So in order to keep our firefighters and first responders up to date in their education, we planned on building a new one.”
The fire department purchased a dedicated ambulance, but with limited space in the old hall, it had to remain outside cover. That created challenges in the winter with maintenance and storing supplies. The new building, at 50 by 80 feet with 4 doors, will have ample space to house the ambulance and the three fire vehicles.
As for the town, the residents are excited to see earth moving as the project begins.
“It’s been a very good response,” said Bruno’s Mayor Dale Glessman. “The town and the RM have joined forces to build the new hall which we definitely needed for a few years. Most of our calls are in the RM, and for us to go together to get a new facility for our fire department is an awesome thing for the community.”
The RM has another fire hall within its borders in Prud’homme and the Bruno and RM fire department receives support from surrounding locales like Humboldt and the RM of Hoodoo. For the six medical responders and the dozen or so fire fighters with the Bruno/Bayne service, the new building will help continue the strong service for all in the coming years.