The final project for the GEOB 270 class involved working with a group, and consisted of GIS analysis, a set of maps, a written report, and a flow chart. The following post will explain our project, “Implementing a New Fire Hall in the City of Chilliwack”. Click here for a PDF document of our entire final written report, including all maps and the flow chart.

Project Summary:

In​ ​our​ ​project,​ ​we​ ​are​ ​UBC​ ​Arts​ ​Co​ ​op​ ​students​ ​on​ ​a​ ​work​ ​term​ ​with​ ​the​ ​fire department​ ​in​ ​the​ ​City​ ​of​ ​Chilliwack.​ ​The​ ​fire​ ​department​ ​is​ ​in​ ​need​ ​of​ ​a​ ​new​ ​fire​ ​hall,​ ​as​ ​they are​ ​having​ ​difficulties​ ​responding​ ​to​ ​emergencies​ ​that​ ​are​ ​further​ ​out​ ​from​ ​the​ ​city​ ​core​ ​in​ ​a timely​ ​manner.​ ​We​ ​are​ ​tasked​ ​with​ ​the​ ​job​ ​of​ ​implementing​ ​a​ ​new​ ​fire​ ​hall,​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to increase​ ​fire​ ​safety​ ​in​ ​the​ ​region​ ​and​ ​improve​ ​response​ ​time​ ​for​ ​residents​ ​in​ ​need​ ​of​ ​emergent aid.​ ​Our​ ​main​ ​goal​ ​is​ ​to​ ​identify​ ​an​ ​appropriate​ ​location​ ​for​ ​the​ ​fire​ ​hall​ ​that​ ​will​ ​not​ ​disrupt current​ ​agricultural​ ​land​ ​use,​ ​yet​ ​allow​ ​residents​ ​to​ ​benefit​ ​from​ ​the​ ​additional​ ​fire​ ​hall. Variables​ ​we​ ​considered​ ​in​ ​creating​ ​the​ ​new​ ​fire​ ​hall​ ​included​ ​locations​ ​of​ ​current​ ​fire​ ​halls, restricted​ ​areas,​ ​densely​ ​populated​ ​areas,​ ​main​ ​transportation​ ​routes,​ ​and​ ​city​ ​parks.​ ​The​ ​data for​ ​our​ ​project​ ​was​ ​sourced​ ​from​ ​the​ ​Open​ ​Data​ ​Catalogue​ ​for​ ​the​ ​City​ ​of​ ​Chilliwack.​ ​We found​ ​5​ ​locations​ ​within​ ​the​ ​city​ ​boundaries​ ​of​ ​Chilliwack​ ​that​ ​may​ ​be​ ​suitable​ ​for implementation​ ​of​ ​a​ ​fire​ ​hall.​ ​We​ ​determined​ ​the​ ​most​ ​appropriate​ ​location​ ​for​ ​the​ ​fire​ ​hall​ ​to be​ ​Map​ ​4​ ​Figure​ ​5,​ ​because​ ​the​ ​area​ ​is​ ​in​ ​a​ ​dense​ ​metropolitan​ ​and​ ​residential​ ​zone,​ ​close​ ​to Highway​ ​1,​ ​and​ ​does​ ​not​ ​disrupt​ ​restricted​ ​lands.