Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Sep 06, 2025

Construction on national emergency operation center begins

Construction on national emergency operation center begins

With heavy machinery and ceremonial shovels, demolition of the former home of the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) and construction of a state-of-the-art new National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) began with a groundbreaking ceremony this week in McNamara.

The resilient and high-technology building will serve as the hub for disaster and emergency response in the Territory and the offices for the Department of Disaster Management. During emergency activations, Territory leaders and others with responsibilities within the National Disaster Management Plan will coordinate response activities from the NEOC, ensuring that residents continue to receive critical Government services during and immediately after a hazard impact.

His Excellency the Governor Mr. John J. Rankin, CMG, said at the ceremony that the new building will strengthen the Territory’s capacity to respond to emergencies, which is a key component of protecting lives in the Virgin Islands.

“Effective disaster management is vital for the safety and security of all the people in this Territory. I pledge as Governor to prioritise my responsibilities in this area, and always do what is best for the safety of all of the men, women and children living here,” Governor Rankin said.

He added that it’s encouraging to see the Territory take advantage of the opportunity presented by extensive rebuilding needed after the impacts of 2017.

“The hurricanes offered an opportunity to build back better and the National Emergency Operations Centre embodies that. This robust new building, once complete, will support work to further improve the safety and security of all of our communities, as well as contributing to the further resilience of the dedicated public servants who, when the worst happens, will work tirelessly to manage and respond to disaster.”


Director of Projects in the Ministry of Finance Dr. Drexel Glasgow, whose team has overseen the tender and procurement process for the new building, said that the building will serve as a model for resilient and environmentally friendly critical facilities.

“This building is expected to be the first of its kind in the region, combining resilience, sustainability, and smart concepts in a facility that is expected to allow the core of Government to continue to function during and immediately after the passage of an event,” Dr. Glasgow said.

DDM Acting Director Mr. Jasen Penn thanked all those who have contributed to the building’s development so far, adding that while the previous building allowed the DDM to carry out their work during the hurricanes of the 1990s and the floods that followed, he is grateful that the Territory will face future emergencies with the support of a safe new structure.

“We will soon have a New National Emergency Operations Centre that is resilient, meets international building and safety standards, and is capable of serving the people of the BVI in a period when we face multiple hazards; and possibly even hazards we don’t yet know about. We wait for the day when it is complete and it can once again be a model for the region and beyond to see,” Mr. Penn said.

The three-level, 18,028-square-foot structure is expected to be completed in 24-months. Construction of the building is being carried out by a joint venture between local firms Tandem Development and D & B Heavy Equipment Services Limited. The building was designed by Virella Crespo and Associates, who will also provide construction supervision throughout the development phase of the building. Funding for the $9.8 million-facility comes from the Territory’s Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Loan, facilitated by the Caribbean Development Bank.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Brand-New $1 Million Yacht Sinks Just Fifteen Minutes After Maiden Launch in Turkey
Here’s What the FBI Seized in John Bolton Raid — and the Legal Risks He Faces
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
×