FIRE fighters and stakeholders in St Ann gathered on the grounds of the St Ann’s Bay Fire Station last month to officially rededicate the building which was recently refurbished.

The fire station was the national project for Labour Day 2014, however the works did not end then as firefighters from across the island dedicated their time to have the facility fully refurbished at a cost of $7.8 million.

Minister of state in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development Colin Fagan explained that with the men and women of the fire service volunteering to work on the facility, expenses were “a significant reduction from the original cost”.

Building Officer Deputy Superintendent Andrew Russell said the ceremony marked the conclusion of a task that will boost the morale of workers of the fire service.

He explained that the building which now house the St Ann’s Bay Fire Department was built in 1951.

“While this structure was upgraded over the years, the decision to have it refurbished now was inevitable as the building was suffering from several difficult problems,” he said, adding that the problems included overcrowding, inadequate kitchen and storage facility, a lack of office space and severe dust nuisance.

“Fighting fire is an ultra-hazardous and dangerous activity, so having the right infrastructure in place to offer this type of service is very important,” he added. “This is just a part of the management’s effort to enhance service delivery to the wider community.”

The work done at the facility includes construction of a 225-square -foot office with bathroom facility for the divisional commander, improved kitchen facility, construction of a 350-square foot store room, construction of new office space for watch commanders, painting of the building, installation of air conditioning units, rewiring of the building and paving of the yard utilising over 90-cubit-yard concrete.

Russell pointed out that the work was done through partnership with the Local Government Ministry, the Fire Brigade Department and several other key stakeholders, including corporate Jamaica.

John Valentine, manager of Premix Jamaica was lauded for donating 20 cubit yards of concrete which resulted in approximately $250,000 slash in the cost of the project.

Russell also pointed out that as a means of cutting the labour cost, firefighters with the requisite skills came together to carry out the project, saving the fire department some $1.5 million. He further added that the work was closely monitored in order to stick to the budget.

While the building has been refurbished, Russell said there is still more work to be done at the facility. These include erecting perimeter fencing and expanding the living accommodations. He called on corporate Jamaica to assist.

In the meantime, Commissioner of the Fire Brigade Errol Mowatt also urged key stakeholders to assist in furnishing the refurbished building.

Several persons who attended the rededication ceremony lauded the efforts of the firefighters who worked on the project to refurbish the facility.

“We have done serious work, tremendous work, and I want to commend all those who were involved in this work,” Commissioner Mowatt said.

Colonel Daniel Pryce, a director of the board of the Jamaica Fire Brigade said, “I applaud the efforts of the men and women who worked on this fire station.”