Govt officials and fire fighters
tour new Fire-Rescue Building
~ Completion scheduled for August 15 ~
PHILIPSBURG--Government officials and fire fighters toured the new Fire and Rescue Building in Cay Hill on Monday, examining the three-storey structure ahead of its scheduled August completion date.
The Island Government’s Fire and Ambulance Departments are set to share the three-storey building overlooking St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) once it opens on August 15, bringing together two of St. Maarten’s most crucial response teams to better handle emergencies on the island. Work on this project officially began in 2006.
The building is one part garage and mechanical area, one part waiting station for trucks and ambulances, and the rest offices and recreational and training areas for both Fire and Ambulance Department staff, contractors Liccom N.V. told participants in an early afternoon tour.
Revealing blueprints for the operation, a Liccom representative showed the division of the 6,000m2-large property into bedrooms, washrooms and kitchen facilities mainly for the long shifts and late nights inherent to both departments. A large area in the West end of the second floor is reserved for gym equipment for training and much of the land in front of the building also will be used to train the fire fighters and rescue personnel.
Once the building is complete, the dispatch and emergency response communication areas will be moved to the new building.
