New Fire Station Opened in Yallahs, St. Thomas

Yallahs and surrounding districts in St. Thomas now have the benefit of a new fire station, which was built in the community at the cost of approximately $162.6 million.

The facility was officially opened by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, on Wednesday (October 26).

The two-storey building comprises office space, a small conference room, male and female dormitories, restrooms, an emergency medical services (EMS) room, a small gym, and an engine bay.

It will serve approximately 95,000 residents and accommodate 40 staff members, including administrators and firefighters.

The station is expected to significantly bolster service delivery by the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), by improving the response time to calls.

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, who delivered the keynote address, said the development of St. Thomas is pivotal to the creation of a modern Jamaica.

Describing St. Thomas as having “incredible potential”, he said the Government is undertaking “massive redevelopment” of the parish, which will significantly improve the lives of citizens.

“This fire station, [therefore], is a representation of the Government’s strategic intent of focusing on the development of this parish,” the Prime Minister stated.

Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, who has portfolio responsibility for the JFB, welcomed construction of the facility, noting that the condition of the previous structure did not befit the dedicated firefighters who were stationed there.

He pointed out that since 2016, the Government has spent close to $900 million on building and improving JFB facilities islandwide.

“We are proud of this achievement [because], not only are we building these infrastructures, but we have been providing the Brigade with the requisite tools to carry out their functions,” the Minister said.

For his part, JFB Commissioner, Stewart Beckford, said the station’s opening will lift the firefighters’ morale, as they will be working in an environment that facilitates improved service delivery to the residents of Yallahs and its environs.

He noted that the parish is one of the safest in the island, with no fire-related deaths experienced over the last five years.

Consequent on this, Commissioner Beckford commended the firefighters, who have assisted the Brigade in executing its mandate of saving lives and protecting property.

He further pointed out that the facility’s opening was timely, coinciding with the JFB’s observance of Fire and Life Safety Awareness Week from October 23 to 29 under the theme ‘Preserving the Nation through Life Safety and Fire Prevention’.

The Yallahs Fire Station is a subproject of the Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project (DVRP), which was implemented by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) in partnership with the Local Government Ministry.

The facility’s construction, between December 2019 and May 2022, was funded through a loan agreement between the Government and the World Bank.

The new station is expected to improve the response time and human resource capacity of the fire department.