New state-of-the-art NEOC building will help 'save lives'

The Virgin Islands National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) will soon get a state-of-the-art building that will be able to withstand hurricane-force winds and keep comfortable and secure the people who selflessly work to keep the territory safe during and after disasters.

This was revealed at the groundbreaking ceremony yesterday, Tuesday, February 16, 2021, by Director of Projects in the Ministry of Finance, Dr Drexel M. Glasgow, who noted that the project will be constructed in a 24-month period.

According to Dr Glasgow, the project will come at a cost of $9,803,215 and the contract is among the Government of the Virgin Islands and Tandem Development and D&B Heavy Equipment Services Ltd.

New NEOC Years in the making

“The Genesis of the need to rehabilitate this building, the DDM building, spans many decades. It was not fitting for the agency… to work out of this building and seeing that their primary responsibility was to preserve lives during disasters an emergency. It's not very fitting for them to work out of this building when in fact this building was susceptible to these same disasters,” he said.

According to Dr Glasgow, the contractor has now been given access to the site to demolish the existing building and construct the new facility in a contracted duration.

"This building is expected to be the first of its kind in the region that combines resilience, sustainability and smart concepts in a facility that is expected to allow the core of government to continue and function during and immediately after the passage of an event.”

Building will 'help save lives" - Governor Rankin

Meanwhile, new Governor John J. Ranking, CMG said given his top priority is internal security and effective disaster management as empowered by the constitution, he was pleased to be at the ceremony given the impacts of the 2017 hurricanes on life and businesses in the VI.

“Today we're marking the start of a new NOEC which will host Department of Disaster Management [and] serve as a focal point for the National Disaster Management Council and in short and put simply, help to save lives,” he said.

Governor Rankin said it will be a key example of building back better, with an environmentally sound building that is strong enough to withstand earthquakes, storms and other hazards in years to come.

Deputy Governor David D. Archer Jr said the building will set the foundation for many buildings throughout the world on “how to do it right.”

Start-of the-art facilities

Other features of the building include devices that will support energy savings, solar technology, resilient IT infrastructure, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor quality, good stewardship and resource management, in addition to environmental sensuality.

Also present at the ceremony were Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) and other senior government ministers.

The building will include include devices that will support energy savings, solar technology, resilient IT infrastructure, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor quality, good stewardship and resource management, in addition to environmental sensuality according to Deputy Governor David D. Archer Jr.