Contract signed for the construction of a National Emergency Operations Centre

From left are Permanent Secretary MOH, Collin Higgs; The Hon. Neiko Grant, Minister of Work; and Project Manager , Ran Mar Precision Development, Terrence Dean. (BIS/ Photo Raymond

By Llonella Gilbert Bahamas Information Services

NASSAU, The Bahamas -- Minister of Public Works and Transport the Hon. Neko Grant signed a contract with the Ran Mar Precision Development Co. Ltd., Wednesday, January 12, for the construction of the National Emergency Operations Centre.

The company was awarded the contract for the base sum of $1,735,503, and it is expected that construction will span a 36-week period.

“The Centre, to be built on Gladstone Road, will consist of a single storey building of approximately 6,981 square feet to provide office accommodation for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) along with warehouse space, Minister Grant said.

“The building will also feature overnight emergency sleeping quarters along with shower/bath and kitchen facilities to facilitate the Centre’s operation on a 24-hour basis by key emergency management personnel,” he added.

Ran Mar was selected as a result of a tender exercise that was conducted during the latter part of 2010.“The construction of the National Emergency Operations
Centre will complement additional works to be executed at strategic locations in other Family Islands to strengthen disaster preparedness and response nationwide,” Mr Grant
said.

A disaster relief warehouse will be constructed on Grand Bahama to assist disaster response efforts in the northern Bahamas and one will be built in Inagua to assist disaster
response efforts in the southern Bahamas, Mr Grant said.

Also present at the signing was Captain Stephen Russell, Director, NEMA; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Works, Colin Higgs and Project Manager, Ran Mar,
Terrence Dean. Captain Russell said the project has been on the drawing board since 2003; and when he came into office in 2008, the documents were already there, so his aim was just to advance the project.

He said NEMA’s regional partner, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, would be pleased to note that The Bahamas is strengthening its capabilities through
the construction of the operations centre.