Fire Dept. to Relocate in Rental Unit Following the Sale of its Headquarters

Orlando Habet

Back in September, the Government came under harsh criticism for the sale of the National Fire Service headquarters in Belize City.  The government at the time sold the fire station to Atlantic Bank for some two point eight million dollars. And as we have reported, the fire department must now vacate that spot in December – less than a month. The previous administration’s proposed new site for the construction of a new fire station headquarters is in the Chetumal Street. But what does the new Minister has to say about how things will move forward? Today, Orlando Habet spoke on the issue of the fire station, noting that they will now rent a new space to house the fire-fighter in the interim. He says he visited the headquarters and that it is in a deplorable state. Habet also spoke of the other challenges that plague the department such as dilapidated equipment. Here’s what he had to say.

Orlando Habet, Minister, Climate Change & Disaster Risk Management

“Our fire fighters, as has been mentioned, can only do the work if they have the equipment to work with. We know that in the past we have had some problems and perhaps will continue having some. But as long as we can work together and see what the needs and necessities are and we can go handling these problems. One by one, we will be able to achieve the objectives that have been set forth in the policies for the fire fighters and the Ministry.  I did do a quick tour with Mr. Gillett of the office in Belize City and you know that the office has to be relocated; the station has to be relocated. There is a lot of work to be done. A new building has to be constructed, hopefully starting pretty soon. But in the meantime the fire fighters will have to be in a building that we will have rent for a period of time until that building is constructed. What is important here is that yes we appreciate the trucks and appreciate the equipment and one of the needs that was informed, while these trucks may be able to out a small fire, in communicating with Mr. Gillett, where there are lot of homes that are still lumber base and fires spread quickly, you need to have something like a bowser, a larger truck that can tag along with the fire truck so that you do not run out of water quickly. And then you also mentioned that you don’t know what you will do with the older trucks, but I would hope that with the ministry’s policies we can look at smaller villages that have three, four, five thousand persons and have no fire trucks and no way of  outing fires.”