SEEP opens 2nd EOC in South Eleuthera – Continues tremendous contribution to Emergency Response / Community Building.

On Tuesday afternoon, May 21st, 2013, amidst threatening rain and with rain clouds peppering the sky, the long awaited Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) in the South Eleuthera township of Wemyss Bight, envisioned by the One Eleuthera/South Eleuthera Emergency Partners (SEEP) group back in 2010 became a reality.  It is the second EOC opened by the private organization, with the first being in Tarpum Bay.

[SEE RELATED: SEEP COMMISSION EQUIPMENT AT TARPUM BAY 2009]

At the Podium: Junior Minister of Tourism for the island of Eleuther, Ryan Rolle, welcomes attendees to the opening of the new Wemyss Bight EOC. Sitting on stage: (L-R) Ronald Horton, SEEP Vice President; Leviticus Anderson, Councillor; Shaun Ingraham, SEEP Director; Margaret Symonette, Administrator for South Eleuthera; Ismella Davis, Superintendent of Police for the Eleuthera District; Danielle Gibson, Mistress of Ceremonies.

Members of the South Eleuthera communities of Bannerman Town, Millars, Deep Creek, Waterford, Wemyss Bight, Green Castle, Cotton Bay, Rock Sound and Tarpum Bay, as well as others from as far north as James’ Cistern came out to celebrate the official commissioning of the new center and to witness the handing over ceremony for the Fire Truck – to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, currently led by Superintendent Ismella Davis. 

Asst. Superintendent Lucas Armbrister (at the podium) introduces the new group of volunteer fire fighters who will serve the surrounding South Eleuthera communities through the new EOC.

A group of community volunteers, who went through an initial training session during the week before the official opening with island Police Fire Chief, Assistant Superintendent Lucas Armbrister, will serve as volunteer fire fighters.  According to ASP Armbrister, the training taught participants to be ready to serve at a moment’s notice, covering the basics of fire behaviour, ground cover, use of fire extinguishers and hoses, the operation of the fire truck and pump mechanisms, and other fundamentals of fire fighting.

Commissioner of Police, Ellison Greenslade, and the Minister of National Security, Bernard Nottage, along with MP for Central and South Eleuthera, Damian Gomez, who were expected to be in attendance to mark this very significant occasion were unable to fly in because of the weather conditions.  However, those in attendance were still treated to the beautiful sounds of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Pop band members, who were able to make it on island for the event.

 Outfitted with both a Fire Truck, and an ambulance, the new EOC is now ready to make real the vision of SEEP, spearheaded by Director, Shaun Ingraham, described as, “Creating safer communities by establishing a network of emergency operation centers that provide essential community services.  This will lead to community growth as well as economic development which will continue to benefit future generations.”

 The new Wemyss Bight EOC facility will provide under-served communities in the surrounding South Eleuthera area with emergency fire, ambulance vehicles and operations space. This new facility will also eliminate twenty five minutes from the driving time necessary to reach the surrounding South Eleuthera communities from the present EOC facility located in Tarpum Bay, according to Ingraham.

Sally Searle, member of the Cotton Bay Foundation and long time resident of Cotton Bay, next door to the new EOC site, cuts the offical ribbon, commissioning the use of the new EOC and handing over the fire truck to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, as volunteer fire fighters look on.

Construction of the Wemyss Bight EOC began in March of 2011, and numerous people and organizations have since then contributed to the completion in the form of cash, in-kind, discounted labour and volunteer donations.  Ingraham explained that recent cash donations of $10,000 from the Cotton Bay Foundation, and $27,000 from the Cotton Bay Homeowners enabled the final completion of the facility.  The Cotton Bay Foundation, which had a number of members present at the ceremony, presented yet another gift during the afternoon’s festivities – a defibrillator (for heart related emergencies), to add to the medical equipment available in the ambulance on site.

 “The long term goal for the site is to make the EOC multi-functional to include several other community programs at the site”, says Ingraham, “including farmer’s markets, shared craft workshop facilities and a community meeting space (similar to how the Tarpum Bay EOC currently acts as a community center).”  The site is also outfitted with a massive 30,000 gallon re-used rainwater harvesting tank acquired from the now closed Venta Club at a sizeable cost savings. The tank will be utilized in concert with the specially designed EOC roof structure, which was designed to incorporate low-cost sustainable building practices.