PWSC(97-98)101
For discussion
on 21 January 1998

ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS
SUBCOMMITTEE OF FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 703 - BUILDINGS

Public Safety - Fire services

119BF - Victoria Road standard 3-bay fire station

Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee the upgrading of 119BF to Category A at an estimated cost of $50.9 million in money-of-the-day prices for the construction of a standard 3-bay fire station at Victoria Road.

PROBLEM

The existing Kennedy Town Fire Station and Pokfulam Fire Station are not able to respond to emergencies in the area between Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) and Sandy Bay within the approved graded response time¹ limits.

PROPOSAL

2. The Director of Architectural Services (D Arch S), with the support of the Secretary for Security, proposes to upgrade 119BF to Category A at an estimated cost of $50.9 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices for the construction of a standard 3-bay fire station at the corner of Bisney Road and Victoria Road.

PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE

3. The project comprises the construction of a standard fire station with a three-bay appliance room, offices, an exercise room, barracks, a canteen, a drying room, stores, a lecture room and a drill yard on a site of about 2 183 square metres.

JUSTIFICATION

4. Currently, fire fighting services for the area lying between QMH, Pokfulam Road, Sassoon Road, Sha Wan Drive and Sandy Bay are provided by the Kennedy Town Fire Station and Pokfulam Fire Station which are respectively located more than 2.5 kilometres and 2.7 kilometres to the north and south away from the centre of the area. The average response time of fire appliances from these existing stations to locations in the area exceeded the approved graded response time because of the long distance to be travelled. In the past two years, we were able to respond to only 77.9% of fire calls originating from these areas within the approved response time, as against our performance pledge of 91%. The average response time for those 22.1% of cases where the 6 minute response time were not met was 7.3 minutes; or 1.3 minutes longer than the graded response time target. We consider that a difference in response times by a minute or two can be critical in terms of the number of casualties or fatalities that might otherwise be avoided. To ensure adequate fire cover for residents living in the area between QMH and Sandy Bay, we need to proceed with the construction of the proposed station in a timely manner. Undue delay in implementing the project could compromise public safety.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

5. We estimate the capital cost of the project to be $50.9 million in MOD prices (see paragraph 6 below), made up as follows -

	$ million
(a) Site work	4.3
(b) Piling	4.7
(c) Building	11.7

(d) Building services	5.6
(e) Drainage and external works	7.8
(f) Furniture and equipment	1.0
(g) Contingencies	3.5
	_____
Sub-total	38.6	(at December 1996 prices)
(h) Inflation allowance	12.3
	_____
Total	50.9	(in MOD prices)
	_____

The construction floor area (CFA) of the project is 1 410 square metres. The construction unit cost, excluding furniture and equipment but including contingencies, is $26,667²per square metre at December 1996 prices.

6. Subject to approval, we will phase the expenditure as follows -

Year	$ million (Dec 1996)	Price adjustment factor	$ million (MOD)
1998 - 99	5.5	1.16358	6.4

1999 - 2000	16.0	1.26830	20.3
2000 - 01	13.0	1.38244	18.0
2001 - 02	4.1	1.50686	6.2
	_____		_____
	38.6		50.9
	_____		_____

7. We have derived the MOD estimates on the basis of the Government's forecast of trend labour and construction prices for the period 1998 to 2002. We will tender the works under a lump-sum fixed price contract because we can define the scope of works in advance, leaving little room for uncertainty.

8. We estimate the additional annually recurrent expenditure for the project to be $11.54 million.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

9. We consulted the Works Project Committee of the Southern District Board in September 1996. Members supported the project.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

10. The Director of Environmental Protection has completed an Environmental Review of the project in July 1995 and concluded that the project would have no long term environmental impacts. No Environmental Impact Assessment is therefore necessary. The Director of Fire Services will implement administrative measures to minimise noise nuisance during the operation of the fire station. We will control noise, dust and site run-off during construction to within established standards through the implementation of mitigation measures in the relevant contract.

LAND ACQUISITION

11. The project does not require land acquisition.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

12. We have sought to maximise site utilisation of the site in planning the project. The Government Property Agency (GPA) has carried out a search for compatible joint uses with this fire station project in 1996. The search by GPA confirmed that there was no demand for joint use on this site. The Director of Planning has also advised that there are no other "Government/Institution/ Community" ("G/IC") sites suitable for the development of a fire station within this area. The size of the proposed site (about 2 183 square metres) is the smallest possible area which can meet the requirements of a standard fire station. Under the circumstance, we consider that the proposal represents the best use of the site.

13. The proposed station will provide coverage for an area of about 1.5 square kilometres which has a present population of about 86 000 and three hospitals, four homes for the elderly, a medical rehabilitation centre and a home for the blind.

14. We upgraded 119BF to Category B in May 1996. We are finalising the working drawings and tender documents using in-house staff resources. We plan to start the construction works in September 1998 for completion in July 2000.

Security Bureau

January 1998

(LL308)

1.According to the current approved fire-fighting policy, fire calls in built-up area, dispersed risk and remote areas should be met within a response time of 6, 9 and 23 minutes respectively. The area to be served by this fire station is in the built-up area category.

2.The relatively high construction unit cost of this project as compared to other fire services depot projects is due to the need for site formation, geotechnical/slope works and construction of a boundary wall. If these works are deducted from the calculation, the construction unit cost at $22,104 per square metre is comparable to similar fire station projects. As compared to a normal government office building project, the construction unit cost of fire station projects is higher because (a) fire station buildings are usually low rise with relatively small CFAs and a 2-storey high appliance room which occupies most part of the G/F. Therefore, due to a lack of economy of scale, the unit cost in general tends to be higher. (b) Site areas for fire stations is relatively larger because it includes an external drill yard, the unit cost on external works (such as hoarding, paving, landscaping, drainage, etc.) tends to be higher.