Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, on Wednesday (June 21), toured two possible sites to erect a fire station in Balaclava.

“One of the locations is where the existing post office is, and it is an ideal location. There is another location farther down the road, which we thought is also an ideal location,” he outlined. 

“The nearest fire station to respond to a fire in Balaclava would be Mandeville, and that is not speaking well for that section of the island, because at least three parishes border that section. We have Trelawny, Manchester and a part of St. James,” McKenzie explained. 

“I have been given the assurance by the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) that by the end of July, all the necessary protocols will be completed and that by September/October, they will start to move into [focusing on] the new facility in Balaclava,” he added. 

Fire station for Ulster Spring as well

McKenzie said that the funds are available to construct the Balaclava Fire Station as well as the Ulster Spring Fire Station in Trelawny, which is “almost ready to go to tender”. 

He said both facilities are vital for timely fire response and suppression, as they reduce the potential for fires to escalate and cause extensive damage where other emergency services may be farther away.

“So, we are moving with speed to have that fire station up and running in short order,” he added.

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