In a move that is well ahead of schedule, Mohamed’s Enterprise has completed construction of the $614.5M Fire Service Headquarters and has officially handed over the keys building to the government.
The contractor also ensured the surrounding areas, including the trenches, were cleaned before demobilising the worksite.
The new building, located on Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown, had a final completion deadline of April 2023. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs, in a statement in response to this article, contended that the building is behind schedule and is currently at 95% completion.
Meanwhile, this publication was informed that now that the keys were handed over, the government will have to conduct inspections and then issue a certificate of completion.
According to the Ministry’s statement, “a Practical Completion Payment nor a Practical Completion Certificate has not yet been issued for this project.”
The Ministry said a “punch list of defects” was sent to the contractor’s representative, which has to be addressed within the defect and liability period.
The modern facility can now accommodate eight fire tenders and six Emergency Medical Service (EMS) ambulances. It also has male and female barracks, a kitchen, a laundry area, officers’ living quarters, a gym, a day room, and offices, as well as EMT rooms.
This new headquarters is designed to function with 70 plus ranks of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS).
The facility sits on 3.5 acres of land between the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and the D’Urban Park Stadium.
The relocation of the headquarters from the ‘congested’ Stabroek Market Square is expected to improve the operations of the fire service in terms of efficient response to fires.
Editor's Note: This article was updated to include information issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the project.
