The City of Burnaby, a growing municipality dedicated to providing prompt and effective firefighting services, has committed to replacing the aging Fire Hall No.4 and building a new Fire Hall No.8 to serve the Simon Fraser University (SFU) and the Burnaby Mountain area.

Fire Station #4 replaces the original 1956 station on Duthie Avenue. Operational since July 2024, this 15,000-square-foot facility features three drive-through bays, a dedicated decontamination area, and is designed to withstand post-disaster conditions. It aligns with Burnaby’s Climate Action Plan by incorporating energy-efficient systems, stormwater management, and solar-ready roofing.

Fire Station #8 spans 15,000 square feet, includes three drive-through bays, and meets high seismic safety standards. The project, a collaboration between the City of Burnaby and SFU, received $30 million in federal funding. It also integrates sustainable design elements to support future net-zero energy goals.

Fire stations #4 and #8 are the first fire halls delivered using the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) in British Columbia; Stantec (Mechanical), RJC (Structural), and WSP (Electrical) collaborated to significantly enhance emergency response capabilities, particularly near the Trans Mountain facility and the growing Burnaby Mountain community.

The project was designed to be zero-carbon ready, aligning with SFU’s sustainability targets and the City of Burnaby’s Climate Action Plan. Key features include the use of low-carbon energy without natural gas and an energy-efficient building envelope. High-efficiency air-source heat pumps (ASHPs), energy recovery ventilators (ERVs), 2-pipe fan coils, and radiant slab heating ensure optimal heating, cooling, and ventilation for operational, administrative, training, decontamination, and living spaces.

The lighting system features LED luminaires with automatic controls that meet ASHRAE 90.1 efficiency standards. Provisions were made for future electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support electric fire trucks, allowing the Fire Department to reduce fossil fuel reliance. A solar-ready roof further supports the goal of achieving net-zero energy.

Designed to ‘Post-Disaster’ standards per the BC Building Code 2018, the facility will remain operational after a seismic event. Its structural system includes eccentric structural steel braces as the Seismic Force Resisting System (SFRS), timber framing in dorms and offices, and exposed glulam beams spanning 54 feet over three tandem drive-through apparatus bays.

The collaborated engineering approach resulted in a building that meets the current needs of the Fire Department while also offering the future flexibility to continue to reduce their carbon footprint and overall energy usage through the life cycle of the facility to ultimately achieve net-zero energy usage.