Maitland City Talk

For quite some many years now, the city of Maitland has found itself in various states of transition; changing, amending and updating many of the facets that’s made it the quaint hometown community it has always been. Half way through the 2012 calendar year now, it is hard to believe that so many things have been accomplished that were only visions and dreams of the years past.

We saw our time-honored police department enter its new state-of-the-art building on Fennel Street at our west side facility and shortly thereafter a new police administration took the reins to continue and provide our city’s trek into the 21st century. Many fine improvements have been realized since then.

Following that, attention was given to the next phase of change – the city’s fire department was about to have a new home also. In its old building since the early 1970s, the old building, if it could talk, could tell quite a story from back then as it too was a time of change for the city. Back then, a new fire station, a new police station and a new city hall. Wait… what’s old is new again! Now some 35 years later, here we are again. So history does repeat itself – same game, different players and oh how satisfying this is.

So in mid-January of this year, the fire department took its place in the new fire rescue headquarters building, putting all divisions of the fire department back together again under one roof. This hadn’t been the case since the early 90s when the FD administration, training and life safety services division moved into the old city hall annex building on George Street (it too now gone). So time and progress marched on.

Many have wondered and subsequently asked if fire department members were satisfied with the new arrangement having now been relocated to the new building. The answer is a resounding yes! Members are thrilled and that’s largely because of the committed effort of all the stakeholders. Many thought it took long and it did take a long time, but the benefits are now being realized every day.

As an example, each week since the relocation the fire department has used to the fullest it’s new conference and training room. In fact just in the month of July alone, the department held its quarterly meeting with all staff and officers of the department and held a promotional process for the rank of lieutenant. Also there was the recognition program for new employees, ones recently promoted and recognitions for special achievements in the fire service field.

At that most recent gathering, City Manager Jim Williams, fire administration officers, department members and their families were just some of those in attendance at the new building. A scant few months ago, officials would have been looking for some other location in the city to do this.

Notable at this ceremony and in attendance was Maitland’s first full-time fire chief, Ezra Hardy. Chief Hardy mentioned to one fire administration official how nice it was to be there and see all of this come to fruition. Why did Chief Hardy have such an interest? He was talking about this new facility as the future for the city and the department in the mid-1980s, right before his own retirement. Maitland has always had its visions and visionaries!

As attendees departed the ceremony, they couldn’t help but notice the progress on the final part of Maitland’s move forward — the new City Hall. It too had the same rapt attention to needs present today as well as those likely to be needed in the future. It might look like it’s more than a small city like Maitland would need, but when staff and visitors really get a grasp of how user friendly and green (LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) compliant it really is, everyone will be more than satisfied.

Gone are the days of meeting in council chambers down front with one or two other meetings in the back behind curtains all competing for an environment conducive to their own needs

So as our city enters the last quarter of the 2012 fiscal year, fully prepared and funded for the 2013 year, we can look forward with optimism knowing that our elected officials, city staff and all of our residents, permanent and business alike, have all played a role in making Maitland what it truly is according to its mantra — “A Community For Life.”

— Bart Wright, CFPS

Asst. Chief/Administration

Maitland Fire Department