New fire station lights up Old Harbour
Published:Wednesday | April 20, 2022 | 12:11 AMAsha Wilks/Gleaner Writer
After a 17-year delay, firefighters of Old Harbour now have a salubrious place to call home.
Following an official opening ceremony on Tuesday, the newly constructed fire station is now fully operational to serve the vastly developing township with a population of around 35,000.
The investment will be key to the St Catherine town, which has benefited from major housing developments over the last two decades and is a central location for the business community.
The facility will also be more efficient in its emergency service offerings and assistance to hospitals and health centres, as well as the Old Harbour Health Centre, which is slated to undergo a $489-million upgrade to a Type Five health centre.
The new fire station, constructed for J$59.7 million, will house 32 firefighters and two civilians, putting an end to entreaties for better working conditions.
The antiquated building located at 25 South Street became deserted in 2005, after firefighters had to vacate in the wake of a declaration by health officials that it was unsafe.
The building experienced a rodent infestation among another host of health hazards.
Firefighters were later accommodated in a refurbished house on Marlie Acres Drive which they occupied for 17 years.
In 2020, firefighters complained about an overflowing sewer system, as well as cramped space and a lack of basic amenities.
In his remarks, Stewart Beckford, commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), expressed his joy at the opening of the new facility.
“Today indeed marks a very important milestone for the St Catherine division generally, but more importantly, for the Old Harbour Fire Station,” said Beckford.
Beckford also recognised the firefighters’ remarkable sacrifice and perseverance in working under adverse conditions.
In addition to bolstering operations to aid the brigade’s fire response capacity, Assistant Commissioner Andrew Russell, who is in charge of Area Three, believes that employee morale will be enhanced.
In an interview with The Gleaner, Russell said that the wider community would benefit from improved service quality and productivity.
He also mentioned that with rank- and gender-specific accommodations, more female officers will be able to join the JFB.
Currently, men outnumber women 7 to 1.
Headley Shaw, who served as assistant commissioner in charge of the Area Three from 1994 to 1998, also expressed pride at witnessing the station’s transformation, which he told The Gleaner was desperately required even during his tenure.
In his address, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Desmond McKenzie boasted that 2022 would be a busy year for the opening of fire stations.
“We have to celebrate 60 years of greatness of the JFB, and we going to make the 60th anniversary of Jamaica’s Independence a good one with the JFB at the forefront ... because the men and women deserve it,” he said in reference to underappreciation of firefighters by the general public.
Three of the four stations, which the local government ministry committed J$924.7 million for the JFB, are set to open this year.
The new Montego Bay Fire Station, located on Barnett Street in St James, is expected to open in May at a cost of $574 million.
The Yallahs Fire Station in St Thomas and the Port Maria facility in St Mary, both worth more than $100 million, are also set to reopen soon.