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HomeNewsArchivesFIREFIGHTERS BACK IN RICHMOND STATION

FIREFIGHTERS BACK IN RICHMOND STATION

July 18, 2001 — Firefighters are back in a renovated Richmond Fire Station after being displaced for five months.
Operations were transferred back to the station on Monday from a temporary building in Peter’s Rest, said St. Croix Fire Chief Roberto Santos. Firefighters had responded to calls from Christiansted and the East End from the Peter’s Rest station since February while a $165,000 renovation was underway in Richmond.
"Presently we have all units and manpower in that [Richmond] facility," Santos said. "Everything is back in order."
He said firefighters did some of the work themselves, such as installing the building’s phone system, once the main contractor finished the project, which included new plumbing, complete electrical work, a new roof, floors and windows.
"It was a large-scale refurbishment that was undertaken," he said. "It looks great. Everything is falling into place."
Santos said the Fire Service is planning to relocate a three-person, initial-response unit at the Cotton Valley station on the island's East End this weekend, Santos said. That station has been closed since late last summer, also because of deteriorating conditions. Fire Services allocated $150,000 for repairs at Cotton Valley, but a personnel shortage has kept the station from being fully staffed. Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen has sponsored legislation that would allocate $360,000 to purchase a fire truck and hire personnel for the Cotton Valley station.
While the Richmond station and the temporary station in Peter’s Rest picked up coverage for the East End, response times were slowed, Santos said.
Renovation work has been completed at the Grove Place Station and is underway in Frederiksted, but that work will not interrupt service, Santos said.

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