Power that keeps essential systems running
Backup generation, protected fuel arrangements and tested continuity for communications, lighting, doors, heating and other critical building systems.
Emergency services • A proposal for Charlottetown
Ready before
the storm.
Onsite. Ready to act.
Fire Station 3 should become a fully-fledged Emergency Services Centre: a resilient base for fire and rescue, coordinated emergency operations and staff who need to be onsite before severe weather arrives.
Begin site preparation in 2027. Target delivery within approximately three years of that start.
48Staff bedrooms
Each with a toilet and shower.
96Emergency berths
Two people per room in surge conditions.
2027Site preparation begins
An approximately three-year delivery target.
Fire Station 3, with a wider mission
A working base for a city in an emergency.
We need a facility that can keep functioning when a major storm disrupts power, travel and ordinary workplaces.
The proposed Northwest Emergency Services Centre would combine fire and rescue capacity with an emergency operations centre, staff accommodation, communications and logistics. It would include secure space for police operations and invite the Province and Island EMS to participate in planning.
The point is practical: bring required personnel onsite before travel becomes dangerous, support relief shifts and keep essential response functions operating.
People are part of resilience
48 rooms.
Space for 96 when needed.
Compact staff bedrooms would each provide a regular sleeping berth, a toilet and shower, and a second fold-down bed for emergency double occupancy.
These rooms would support essential responders, relief crews and designated emergency staff. Personnel could be staged ahead of a storm, rest between shifts and remain ready to act without repeatedly travelling through dangerous conditions.
The centre would be designed for this surge occupancy from the outset, including ventilation, sanitation, hot water, accessibility, fire safety and emergency exits.
Design for disrupted conditions
Resilience built into the brief.
An emergency operations centre
A dedicated coordination space for situational awareness, resource requests, public information and support to incident commanders.
Reliable communications
Redundant communications and backup connectivity, tested through exercises and designed to keep essential coordination available during outages.
Crew welfare and logistics
Kitchen and dining space, food and essential supplies, laundry and arrangements to sustain staff through prolonged operations.
A site that remains usable
Assess wind, flooding, drainage, access, snow clearance and servicing risks. Keep emergency vehicle routes and critical equipment protected.
Safe operational separation
Separate rest and living areas from vehicle exhaust and contaminated equipment. Preserve secure police areas and each service’s operational requirements.
The engineering brief must establish how long the centre can sustain essential operations without normal utilities and deliveries. Room dimensions, approved occupancy and all resilience systems require detailed design and verification.
An Emergency Services Commission
Plan together.
Prepare together.
Daniel proposes a permanent commission for integrated emergency-service planning, bringing elected representatives and independent expertise together with police, professional and volunteer fire leadership, emergency management and municipal safety.
Commission oversight
Preparedness, service capacity, capital priorities, facilities, fleet, communications, exercises, performance and lessons from major incidents.
Professional operational command
Police leadership directs police operations. Fire leadership and incident commanders direct emergency scenes. Governance bodies do not direct individual investigations or tactical decisions.
A proposed civilian Director of Emergency Services would coordinate shared resources, facilities, workforce planning and readiness through the City’s administration. The role would preserve statutory responsibilities and each service’s professional command.
The Police Commission would provide focused policing scrutiny. The Emergency Services Commission would address shared readiness and resources. Their mandates would be developed together so responsibilities are clear.
One service, complementary strengths
Professional speed.
Volunteer capacity.
Professional firefighters give us speed. Volunteer firefighters give us capacity.
The centre would support both forces through training, appropriate duty arrangements and readiness. Volunteer leadership would retain a clear role in recruitment, training, retention and representation, with established incident command at emergency scenes.
Planning with the Province and Island EMS would explore participation and suitable shared accommodation. This is an invitation to build a practical partnership, not a claim that an agreement already exists.
Delivery commitment
Start in 2027.
Keep the timetable public.
- 2027
Begin site preparation
Complete the necessary site investigations, approvals and enabling design so access, servicing and preparation support the full Emergency Services Centre.
- During the three-year window
Design and build
Advance detailed design, cost confirmation, procurement and construction, with public reporting on milestones and changes.
- Approximately 2030
Bring the centre online
Target completion within approximately three years of starting site work in 2027, including commissioning, staff training and readiness exercises.
This is the proposed delivery target, subject to the approved site, design, funding, procurement and construction schedule. A full costed plan is required; no construction price is being asserted here.
Questions and answers
What this means in practice.
Are these 48 staff positions?
No. Forty-eight is the number of proposed bedrooms. Each room would have a second fold-down berth, giving a design target of 96 people during emergency surge operations. Staffing levels and deployment would be determined separately.
Would the bedrooms be a public emergency shelter?
The accommodation described here is for responders and designated essential staff. Public reception centres and emergency shelters need their own plans; they are not being counted within these 96 staff berths.
Would everyone be on duty continuously during a storm?
No. Being onsite allows planned shifts, rest and relief. The aim is ready personnel supported through a prolonged emergency, not continuous duty without rest.
Does the commission take command at an incident?
No. The commission governs preparedness and shared planning. Professional chiefs and designated incident commanders retain their operational roles.
Will site work get ahead of the design?
Site preparation would be coordinated with investigations, approvals and the centre’s overall layout. Early work must support the finished facility and avoid costly rework.
Daniel Mullen for Mayor
A safer, better-prepared Charlottetown.
Bring your questions to a Town HallProposed policy • October 2026. Implementation requires the applicable Council, provincial and regulatory approvals.
The Right Change.Right Now.