NORTH Shore Search and Rescue needs a rescue - financially, at least.
The search and rescue organization will have to move their central operations post to the new City of North Vancouver works yard when the city finishes a deal with private developers Darwin Properties to build the new facility at 61 Bewicke Ave. In exchange, Darwin will get possession of the existing works yard site at 720 West Second St., with plans to build 300,000 square feet of housing.
The move comes with many benefits - the new 5,000square-foot space will be 25 per cent larger than the team's existing facility and be built to a post-disaster standard - but there are also costs. While the building itself will be provided, North Shore Search and Rescue is responsible for renovating and equipping the building, and that will cost $200,000 according to Tim Jones, spokesman for the organization.
"We're in a very narrow window of fundraising. This project is going to start in the spring and it will go fast," said Jones.
He wants the fundraising in place by the fall of 2012, to ensure NSR is able to cover the costs the moment they move in. At this point, occupation of the new site is expected by the end of next year, at which point the city will transfer the existing facility over to Darwin to begin construction of residential units.
As well as being bigger, the new facility will be built to minimize potential earthquake damage, provide larger storage space, larger shared classroom space with the city, drying capabilities for equipment and an improved communications system.
"It's not a Taj Mahal, but what we're getting is meeting our current requirements and I would say future requirements for at least the next 10 years," said Jones, who said the existing facility is too small. He said fundraising will target large donors as well as small contributions, and some fundraising events are planned for next year.
"We're looking for someone to make a large donation, one or several people to really step forward and help fund the $200,000 in a large way," he said.
The current yard was built in the 1960s. North Shore Search and Rescue moved there in 1999, at first occupying just a trailer and slowly expanding to meet growing requirements. Since then NSR has opened five remote search and rescue stations.
The City of North Vancouver staff say the move is required because the current yard is too cramped and wouldn't survive an earthquake. When council approved the plan in July, staff said employees worked two to a cubicle and there was no space for first aid, violating WorkSafe B.C. requirements.
The cost of the rescue centre will be split between the municipalities - about half from the District of North Vancouver and a quarter each from West Vancouver and the city, according to city manager Ken Tollstam.
Mike Little, chair of the North Shore Emergency Management Office, estimated the cost to municipalities at $150,000, but said that could still change. "So far we're hearing goodwill on the part of all three municipalities to participate."
