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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
FREEPORT, Grand Bahama – During the historic Cabinet Meeting visit to Freeport, on Tuesday, July 28, Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie and Cabinet Ministers led the ground breaking ceremony for the $6.5 million state of the art fire station to be built on Settler’s Way in Freeport. The Prime Minister is pictured centre, with Minister for National Security the Hon. Dr. Bernard Nottage, centre right; Minister of Tourism the Hon. Obie Wilchcombe next to Minister Nottage; and Minister for Grand Bahama the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville, centre left. (BIS Photo/Vandyke Hepburn)
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FREEPORT, Grand Bahama…Eleven years after Hurricanes Francis and Jeanne, weeks apart, ravaged Grand Bahama Island and destroying homes and businesses and the Grand Bahama Fire Station, groundbreaking for a new $6.1m state-of-the-art facility took place on Tuesday. Prime Minister, the Hon. Perry G. Christie, M.P., joined by the National Security Minister, the Hon. Dr. Bernard Nottage, M.P. officiated at the ceremony. Also on hand was the Cabinet of the Bahamas, in Grand Bahama for a historic Cabinet Meeting held earlier in the day, the second in the country’s history ever held outside the capital of Nassau.
Prime Minister Christie, officiating at his second ceremony for the day that strengthened the island’s firefighting services, described the events as “…first class investments in the infrastructure”, which he noted is at the heart of his administration’s vision for a modern Bahamas and essential for securing a stronger and more sustainable economic growth in Grand Bahama, and by extension the Bahamas.
Earlier in the day the Prime Minister officiated at the reopening of the Eight Mile Rock Fire Substation.
Mr. Christie told scores of residents on hand for the ceremony that the “Effects of the storms were far-reaching and have been felt over the past decade.
“Nonetheless, the restoration of Grand Bahama was a priority in my administration upon coming to office in 2012 and remains a priority for the near and distant future,” said Mr. Christie, as he reasoned the establishing of the Ministry for Grand Bahama and appointment of Dr. Michael Darville as responsible for ensuring that Grand Bahama receives maximum benefits from all government initiatives, and that the needs of Grand Bahama are both voiced and addressed.
The Prime Minister recalled that the challenges of the economy caused delays of what his administration committed to doing since 2012, and that “Today’s groundbreaking ceremony confirms delays have not translated to denials and that this administration is determined to make your island a safer place to live, work, play and visit.”
The contract for the new fire station was signed earlier with Patrick McDonald Construction Company, and the end of 2016 expects a completion. The station will be built on three acres of land at Fairfield East on the corner of Sergeant Major Drive and Settlers Way, East Freeport donated by the Grand Bahama Port Authority and will include:
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The proposed Police Fire Station Project
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An 11,660-square-foot main two-storey Administrative Building.
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Administrative offices for the staff and a reception area with public restrooms.
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A police training room, an operator's office, police locker room, exercise room, day room, dining room, and kitchen.
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A First Aid Room for staff who may become ill or sustain an injury during working hours.
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A police dormitory for both male and female police officers with separate bathrooms, changing areas and showers.
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A single story fire garage that will house four fire trucks and have some support spaces for storage, tools and lockers.
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A greased pole will connect the garage to the dormitory level of the main building.
National Security Minister, Dr. Bernard Nottage touched on the strengthening of Fire Services in Grand Bahama, with the positioning of a fire truck in West End, Grand Bahama and the commencement of work on a new fire station in Freeport.
“Today the Government of the Bahamas, 19 Cabinet Members under the leadership of Prime Minister Perry Christie, were busy on Grand Bahama, completing, in addition to the above, the signing of contracts to build:
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Thirty-three new homes on Grand Bahama;
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A new Administrative complex in Bimini;
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An extension to the CA Smith complex;
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A new Farmers Market on Grand Bahama, and
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This long awaited gift of a Fire Station and fire truck promised before; plans were drawn before, but nothing happened.
“But when we leave here,” said the Minister, “the die would have been cast for the most modern fire station in the Bahamas.
“You have voted for us, and we are your servants; you have made us the government and we have an obligation. And today, just in case you have any doubt, we have with us a Prime Minister, who delivers on his commitments to the people of the Bahamas,” said Dr. Nottage.
Prime Minister Christie also addressed the historic meeting of the Cabinet of the Bahamas being held on the island of Nassau for only the second time in the country’s history. He noted that it was important for the people of the Bahamas to know that its Government can sit and deliberate in communities so as to bring the connectivity to a much more relevant position in their lives. He lauded making of firefighting and emergency services available to the people of an area like Eight Mile Rock as deliberative, for without them residents with emergencies must wait for those fire services from Freeport.
In its meeting on Grand Bahama, Mr. Christie revealed, the Cabinet made the central items on the agenda items related to Grand Bahama and progress for Grand Bahama.
“As we prepare to debate in Parliament a bill to extend the period for business license and real property tax for a period of six month, it was important for us to note to the committee, that their work is not complete, and that we are going to work at finding the right process to enable them to contribute significantly to the deliberations and consultations that will be made in the coming weeks and months towards implementing eleven recommendations made in their report, that in effect will bring transformation to the city of Freeport and hopefully to the island of Grand Bahama.” said the Prime Minister.
The Cabinet also met with representatives of the Grand Bahama Port Authority Limited, the Grand Bahama Shipyard, and Hutchinson Whampoa to discuss the report relevant to the government-appointed committee; relevant to the study that was done by the internationally renowned firm, McKenzie. All together they require the government of the Bahamas to carefully examine the complex areas of governance in the city of Freeport, and the levels of deficiencies that exist in East and West Grand Bahama, with a view towards ensuring that services offered to the people of Grand Bahama are much more uniformed.
The Prime Minister said that in the process “We confirmed that beginning in September, what began as a $250,000,000 expansion of the Freeport Container Port, is now approaching $300,000,000 with the potential to employ hundreds of Bahamians. The construction should begin in September, heralding another major intervention of employment of young Bahamians who are now under-employed and could be better employed.”
© Copyright 2015 by thebahamasweekly.com
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