New fire station for Kanturk
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Firefighter Edith Bhokani and her daughter Elisha Bhokani with Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien at the opening of the new fire station in Kanturk. Photos: Cathal Noonan Cathal NoonanImage 2 of 3
Eileen Lehane, Mary Crowley and Catherine Lehane. Cathal NoonanImage 3 of 3
Firefighter Darren McAuliffe with his father Ger who is a retired firefighter. Cathal NoonanA fire station which serves more than 15,000 people has been officially opened.
Kanturk Fire Station on Percival Street replaces the old station at St Theresa’s which was home to Kanturk Fire Brigade for nearly 70 years.
Kanturk Fire Brigade responds to approximately 130 incidents per year including house fires, road traffic collisions, chimney fires as well as gorse, hill and grass fires.
Kanturk Fire Station is staffed by a local crew of ten which is made up of a station officer, sub-station officer, driver mechanic and seven firefighters. All the crew live and work within two miles of the station.
The new fire station extends to 340m2 and has two appliance bays as well as a domestic bay to house the watch room, lecture/training room, kitchen, changing and shower rooms. It’s universally accessible meaning that people of all physical abilities can access and work in the building. Outside there is a drill yard and parking facilities.
The ribbon was cut recently by the Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Gillian Coughlan and Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien.
The mayor said: “The old facility at St Theresa’s has served the town well for almost seven decades. “However, it was on a confined site close to a housing estate and could not be upgraded, expanded or modernised to meet the needs of a modern fire service. The new station on Percival Street is still located within the town centre but is a much larger and more modern building,” she concluded.
Deputy Chief Executive of Cork County Council, James Fogarty said: “Cork County Council’s Architects’ Department worked closely with the Fire Service and other stakeholders on the design of the new fire station in Kanturk to allow for rapid connections through the building.
“Sustainability was another key driver for this project. Rainwater is harvested for use during drill training. There are also solar panels and an air source heat pump to reduce energy requirements. The boundary stone wall and gates which date from the 19th century have also been carefully refurbished.”