Restored Long Trench centre to be used as ‘model’ for other emergency centres

Following its $95,000 repair and upgrade, the Long Trench Community Centre is now ready to be reused as a shelter in the event of another emergency.

The centre, which still houses two families displaced after the 2017 hurricanes, is also expected to be used as a model for the repair of other emergency shelters territory-wide.

The structure has been described as ‘safe and green’, mould-free, and is expected to be furnished with a new backup generator.

“Repairs to the structure included replacement and sealing off sections of the roof, changing out of windows and doors, replacement of ceiling and kitchen cupboards as well as the upgrade of all exterior and interior water and electricity fixtures and fittings to ones that promote conservation and make the operations of the facility more efficient,” said Minister for Health and Social Development, Carvin Malone.

Thanks, CDEMA

In the meantime, Malone expressed gratitude to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) for funding the project.

He said such partnerships are beneficial to the territory.

“We cannot recover from the devastating events of 2017 without this level of support, and so we thank the Executive Director and his team for this intervention and look forward to collaborating with them on other projects of this nature.”

Executive Director of CDEMA, Ronald Jackson in response explained that the undertaking was part of a series of regional projects in countries that were affected by the 2017 weather events.

“We are so very pleased with the outcome of this project but more so the fact that the expertise to undertake the works came from within the Virgin Islands,” he said.

“This signals that the Territory has the level of skills and expertise needed to undertake these types of works and is a good sign that the recovery process will result in outputs that demonstrate efforts toward building resiliency in key infrastructure,” the CDEMA boss added.