The Barbados Fire Service moved into a new $33.5 million headquarters in The Pine, St Michael, with government officials promising nearby schools that their operations will not be disrupted by emergency sirens or vehicle movements.
Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams addressed concerns over siren noise, particularly for students at Ann Hill School, located directly opposite the headquarters, confirming that strict protocols are in place to protect the safety and comfort of pupils. The Irving Wilson School and Wilkie Cumberbatch Primary, also in close proximity, will be similarly safeguarded.
“So if you know the temporary station is just down the road there, right? And we’ve managed to operate that station using certain protocols that take account if the students are there,” he explained. “For example, you’re not going activate the siren from here unless you absolutely have to. You come out, lights are supposed to be installed on either side of the property so that when the emergency vehicle is leaving … they come out and when they clear a certain distance, they will activate the sirens.”
Abrahams said the ministry was taking steps to familiarise students with the new station and the work of firefighters. “We are working with the schools to make the children comfortable with the idea of the station being here. Let them demystify it for them so they are able to come across and talk to the fire officers,” he said.
He added that the Fire Service intended to establish a mentorship initiative with the schools. “We plan to have almost like a Big Brother programme with all these schools, and we were worried it’s gonna have to be a continual thing because the students are going to rotate. But that was a factor that we considered and we’re doing everything possible to mitigate that.”
The minister stressed that lessons learned from operating the temporary station nearby had informed their approach. “There’s a station already existing just down the road, that we’re able to close with this one and we’ve managed to operate that with minimal disruption so we can just follow the exact same protocols in terms of distance from the schools before you activate the sirens, which has been working — but it’s something we are working with the schools constantly on.”
The new base for the Fire Service headquarters, the Bridgetown Fire Station, the Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement Unit, and the Emergency Ambulance Service, initially cost $30m. The price tag rose tp $3.5m due to supply chain disruptions and structural modifications to enhance storm resilience.
Abrahams hailed the opening as a “transformational milestone” for Barbados’ emergency response system. “This complex is not simply a new headquarters; it represents the evolution of how we as a nation prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies,” he said. The new complex includes a digitised dispatch centre that will soon be linked to a proposed E911 system, allowing real‑time coordination between fire, ambulance, and law enforcement units.
He said the initiative aligns with government’s digital transformation agenda, enabling citizens to access fire‑prevention services online. He also noted that naming the complex after three former Chief Fire Officers — Velmo Cadogan, Chesterfield Mayers, and Wilfred Marshall — ensures their “legacies of courage, discipline, and leadership are permanently enshrined” in the nation’s firefighting history.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley described the new headquarters as a symbol of national transformation and a continuation of Barbados’ legacy of visionary development. She told the ceremony the facility represents her administration’s commitment to building “the best Barbados possible” despite fiscal constraints of the past.
“Very often, people’s reluctance for change does not mean that change is not good,” she said, recalling that national landmarks such as the Emancipation Statue and the ABC Highway had once faced fierce opposition. Mottley said the location of the new complex was chosen for its accessibility to Bridgetown and its reduced risk of flooding or storm surge.
She pointed to improved economic conditions as allowing government to finally invest in long‑overdue infrastructure, equipment, and vehicles for the Fire Service.
Reflecting on the 2010 Campus Trendz tragedy, in which six young women lost their lives, Mottley said the fire underscored the need for stronger enforcement of fire safety codes and regular inspection of older buildings.
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