Mount Washington to get new fire hall as construction begins on long-awaited emergency response facility

A long-discussed fire hall project on Mount Washington is now officially moving from planning to construction, with work underway to establish a dedicated emergency response base for the community.

The Comox Valley Regional District says it broke ground on the Mount Washington Firehall on May 28, marking a major milestone for a project begun in 2021 to strengthen emergency coverage in the area.

“We’re going to be asking volunteers from the community to step up and help us become firefighters,” said Bruce Green, regional rural fire chief for the Comox Valley Regional District.

“That’s going to be essential to making this work.”

Green said the push for a dedicated fire hall gained urgency following a major fire several years ago that resulted in the loss of multiple chalets on the mountain.

The goal is to have between 10 and 15 firefighters assigned to the hall, up from the current eight. He also noted that recruitment and retention remain ongoing challenges because of the small year-round population on the mountain.

“With some ingenuity I think we’ll be able to get there. There’s lots of staff that work with the resort that are currently firefighters down in the valley. Can we work with the resort to allow some of those firefighters to respond up there?” Green said.

The facility will house a 65-foot ladder truck, a utility terrain vehicle for winter access, and other specialized equipment designed for mountain response. A tracked response vehicle is also being considered for future use.

The fire hall is being constructed as a prefabricated building, with officials targeting completion for October or November 2026. The project is budgeted at about $1.5 million.

Once operational, Green said the hall is expected to significantly improve response times during winter conditions when access can be difficult.

“We’re moving full steam ahead,” he said.