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Fire Service

Cayman Islands Government

More Space for Fire Station

Led by the Premier, the Hon. McKeeva Bush, OBE, JP (fourth from left), ground is broken for the Frank Sound fire station expansion by (from left) North Side MLA, Mr. Ezzard Miller, JP; Chief Fire Officer, Mr. Dennom Bodden; Ministry Chief Officer, Mr. Carson Ebanks, MBE, JP; Minister of Health, Environment, Youth Sports and Culture, the Hon. Mark Scotland, JP; Minister of District Administration, Works, Land and Agriculture, the Hon. Juliana O'Connor-Connolly, JP and Deputy Chief Fire Officer Mr. Rosworth McLaughlin.

Published 24th June 2011, 10:0am

Extension of the Frank Sound fire station is underway with ground broken by a team led by the Premier and Minister of Finance, Tourism and Development, the Hon. McKeeva Bush, OBE, JP, on Tuesday, 21 June.

The 1,700 sq. ft. expansion will be large enough to house the station's three new customised trucks, and will also facilitate female staff.

Purchased and stored in the US by the previous administration for the now scrapped Bodden Town Emergency Centre, the trucks were recently imported to cater to the needs of the Eastern Districts, the Premier said.

The Premier, the Hon. McKeeva Bush addresses the gathering. Also seen is Chief Fire Officer Mr. Dennom Bodden.

He noted that Bodden Town, North Side and East End had collectively seen tremendous growth by over 145 percent since the station was built in 1984, requiring provision of better public safety infrastructure.

Since the trucks contain special electronics that need to be protected from the weather, the $250,000 expansion received the green light despite the economic crunch, he explained.

Thanking fire staff for their sterling efforts, Mr. Bush added that a committee to be appointed would examine the viability of a voluntary or auxiliary fire service team serving in a supporting role.

Chief Fire Officer Dennom Bodden thanked the Premier and his ministry staff for supporting the project. While he welcomes the expansion to the Frank Sound fire station, it does not address the urgent and growing need to reduce the Fire Service response time to emergencies in the Bodden Town district, which has been experiencing rapid growth, the Chief said.

Entertainment after the ground-breaking: Ministry Deputy Chief Officer Mr. Dalton Watler, on impromptu drums, accompanies Fire Chief Dennom Bodden providing vocals, harmonica and guitar music.

He added that upgrades to the West Bay fire station were also awaited to be able to accommodate female staff.

Local construction company Barnes Construction Ltd. is the Frank Sound project contractor.

(GIS)

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