West End Fire and Rescue and Paramedic Station

Kingston Fire and Rescue (KFR) and Frontenac Paramedics are building a shared site at 495 Taylor Kidd Blvd. The new building will house KFR Station #11 and Frontenac Paramedics Station #11.

Project Background

The Station Location Study and Response Time Optimization report found that a new fire station is needed in Kingston’s west end to improve response times. This study was presented in the Arts, Recreation & Community Policies Committee meeting of June 23, 2022, and in the City Council meeting of July 12, 2022.

After the Council approved the budget, KFR and the City’s real estate team chose 495 Taylor Kidd Blvd. as the new station site.

Frontenac Paramedics commissioned and presented to Frontenac County Council its 10-Year Paramedic Human Resources and Facilities Master Plan in 2019. An update to the plan was commissioned in 2024 to account for the unexpected increase in demand pressure on emergency medical services. County Council received the update at its regular meeting on September 18, 2024.

Both the 2019 plan and 2024 update include the addition of a four-bay Frontenac Paramedics station located near the intersection of Taylor Kidd Blvd and Gardiners Rd in the growing west end of Kingston as a necessary requirement to ensure Frontenac Paramedics meets response-time and utilization targets to 2034.

Station #11 will address response times in the west urban area and will have space for new firefighters and paramedics hired between 2023 and 2025, who are currently based at Station #7 on Woodbine Road.

KFR and Frontenac Paramedics will operate separately and independently at the new station but will share land, utilities and building systems, saving costs for both.

Construction timeline

Construction is scheduled to begin in Fall 2025. We expect to open the station in late 2026 or early 2027, depending upon the successful contractor’s schedule.

Station design features

The fire station will include a state-of-the-art decontamination area to enhance personal hygiene and safely clean gear and equipment following responses. This reduces the risk of bringing harmful particles into living spaces. The station will also feature bifold doors rather than traditional roll-up doors on the exits of the vehicle garages. The bifold doors open in half the time and will help KFR and Frontenac Paramedics meet their response time targets.

The station’s design supports equity for all users, with individual rooms, washrooms, showers and changing areas instead of gendered spaces.

The station will be energy efficient and have reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to a standard building constructed to Ontario Building Code, using heat pumps, energy recovery ventilators, and a highly insulated building envelope. The roof and electrical infrastructure are designed to support future solar on site.

If you have further questions or want more information, please email us at contactus@cityofkingston.ca.