Sault Ste. Marie Paramedic Services is seeking approval to purchase land next to the No. 3 Fire Station on Bennett Boulevard near Boundary Road for the construction of an eventual east end paramedic station.
Paramedic chief Katie Kirkham made the $125,000 request in a report to the Sault Ste. Marie Housing Corporation (SSMHC), which operates under the auspices of the District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board.
"Through our review, we identified the need for a new ambulance base in this area to improve response times and operational efficiency," said Kirkham in the report, which will be presented during Thursday's board meeting.
The land for the proposed paramedic base is owned by The Trustees of the Emmanuel United Church and is currently occupied by a community garden adjacent to the church at 224 Bennett Blvd. If the sale is approved, that portion of the church's property will be severed from the existing lot.
The church has accepted a conditional offer of $107,000 for the purchase of the land. A total cost of $125,000 has been estimated once land severance and engineering requirements are included.
If approved, the $125,000 would come out of the SSMHC's reserves. No estimate was provided in the report for the eventual cost of building the proposed base.
The paramedic service currently has bases on Tancred Street, Old Garden River Road and in Garden River First Nation, with a satellite station at the Goulais River Fire Hall.
"With increasing call volumes and existing bases concentrated elsewhere, this location ensures faster emergency response, better resource distribution, and enhanced ambulance availability," said Kirkham of the proposed east end base in the report.