Fire Stations Being Built, Rehabilitated

The Government is investing millions of dollars in building out fire stations across the island.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, in his contribution to the 2024/25 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (May 28), said rehabilitation works are being carried out at the Half-Way Tree Fire Station in St. Andrew at a cost of $15 million.

He said phase two of the Annotto Bay Fire Station renovation project in St. Mary is well under way, with the final phase of the $103-million project scheduled to be completed in this financial year.

“We are keeping the promise we made to give the people of Ulster Spring [Trelawny] and surrounding communities a brand-new fire station. So far, $27.6 million has been spent on the first phase of the work, which is 80 per cent complete and by next month, construction from the ground up will begin. This project is estimated to cost $153 million,” Minister McKenzie told the House.

He said funds are now available to provide fire service to residents of Balaclava in St. Elizabeth and surrounding communities.

The Minister told the House that in the last financial year, $138 million was spent to repair and rehabilitate 10 fire stations across the country.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) was provided with essential vehicles and equipment to ensure optimum service delivery, at a cost of just under $400 million in the last financial year,

Standby generators were also rolled out at fire stations islandwide to guarantee 24/7 operations under any circumstance.

Mr. McKenzie said $24.5 million was spent to obtain five generators and informed that seven more will be purchased this year. “This will result in an overall 25 standby generators in service at the Fire Brigade, something that has never happened before,” he noted.

A total of 206 new firefighters joined the JFB in 2023/24.