SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland – Savanna-la-Mar firefighters who recently protested against the poor working conditions at their station, now have a lot to smile about.

The brigade was last Thursday temporarily relocated to a new building on Farm Pen Road in the Westmoreland capital, giving the more than 70 firefighters access to nine rooms at the facility.

But it comes at a price – a monthly rental of $250,000.

However, assistant fire commissioner Errol Mowatt told the Observer that “the brigade did not have much of a choice” given the condition of the fire station.

“It (the new facility) is a brand new building which was intended for a guest house and is in pretty good shape – far, far better than the current state of the fire station where the men were,” said Mowatt.

The approximately 25 Savanna-la-Mar firefighters who protested two weeks ago had vowed not to work from the old fire station until the deficiencies were remedied.

Following the protest, the Jamaica Fire Brigade mandated head of the Westmoreland Fire Department superintendent Vincent Hylton to find a suitable location to house the brigade.

“. What we have done will prevent the firemen from suffering a similar fate in the future, and it may also help to speed up the work that needs to be done at the station,” said Mowatt.

The firemen had complained bitterly about the porous roofs, leaky plumbing and cramped recreation area which also served as kitchen and bedroom at the Savanna-la-Mar station, located at Dalling Street.

In fact, the firefighters said that they have for more than a decade expressed concern about the unsatisfactory conditions under which they performed their duties.

The situation was made worse during the passage of Hurricane Ivan, the category four storm, which two years ago left the machine bay (area where fire units are kept) of the station roofless and caused severe damage to other sections of the facility.

Repairs started on the building more than a year ago but were discontinued months later.

In the meantime, Hylton said the firefighters have settled in satisfactorily at the new location and appeared to be comfortable.

“It is not the ideal place, but the men are coping very well,” he said.

He added, however, that minor adjustments, which include repairs to the kitchen was yet to be made at the facility.

cummingsm@jamaicaobserver.com