Government yet to allocate funds for a new fire station 

Plans for the construction of a much-needed fire station remain uncertain tonight, as government officials confirm that funding for the project has not been secured.  Minister of Disaster Risk Management, Henry Charles Usher, says that while the need for a modern, fully equipped facility is well recognized, no monies have been earmarked for the project in the current fiscal year.

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service: “it wasn’t included because we don’t have the funds to do it as yet. We have the land that has been set aside right next in the area of the Eleanor Hall building. We’re looking for funding. I’m hoping that we’ll be able to partner with our US Embassy in Belize to be able to get that fire station built. The National Fire Headquarters is an important part of making sure that our National Fire Service has the resources, has the home really. They need a home for their training for their mechanical unit etc to be able to work on the fire trucks and so on. So it is an important part of Plan Belize and we are going to get it done. But no it’s not in this particular budget and believe me when we do get the funding and we know we’re going to build it, you guys are going to be the first to know that.”

The update comes against the backdrop of a long-standing issue facing the Belize Fire Service. Back in 2014, the organization’s main headquarters in the Belchina/Bel Layout area was sold to Atlantic Bank, a move that left firefighters without a permanent, purpose-built base of operations.  Since then, the service has been operating out of the Marion Jones Sporting Complex, an arrangement that has drawn criticism over the years, with concerns raised about safety, space limitations, and its overall suitability for emergency response operations.  Minister Usher acknowledged the importance of addressing the situation but indicated that financial constraints continue to be a major hurdle.