Ground broken for Herat fire stations

By Mark RayApril 6, 2012

Lt. Col. Gordon "Mark" Bartley (left), Herat area office, USACE Afghanistan Engineer District-South, greets Herat provincial governor Dr. Daud Saba before a groundbreaking ceremony for two fire statio
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Lt. Col. Gordon "Mark" Bartley (left), Officer-in-Charge, Herat area office, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District-South, greets Herat provincial governor Dr. Daud Saba before a groundbreaking ceremony, marking the beginning of c... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Lt. Col. Gordon "Mark" Bartley, USACE Afghanistan Engineer District-South, places a cornerstone during the groundbreaking for two fire stations in Herat City
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Lt. Col. Gordon "Mark" Bartley, Officer in Charge, Herat Area Office, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District-South, places a ceremonial cornerstone during a ceremony to mark the start of construction on two fire stations to serve ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan-Provincial Governor Dr. Daud Saba and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District-South Herat Area Office officer-in-charge Lt. Col. Gordon "Mark" Bartley marked the official start of a project to build two fire stations in Herat City, April 1, during a ground-breaking ceremony.

Herat City will be a safer community when two new Afghan National Uniformed Police fire stations are completed later this year.

Provincial Governor Dr. Daud Saba and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District-South Herat Area Office officer-in-charge Lt. Col. Gordon "Mark" Bartley marked the official start of the project April 1 during a ground-breaking ceremony.

"Breaking ground on a project is always a highlight," Bartley said in his remarks. "It symbolizes the beginning of actual construction, a beginning that leads to the end we all work for: a completed project that benefits the people of Afghanistan."

"On behalf of the people of Herat province and Herat City, I thank the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the many projects they have constructed for us," said Saba, speaking through an interpreter. "These stations will provide critical service, reducing the loss of life and property to fires in Herat."

The $7.4-million project includes two two-story firehouses, each with five bays for apparatus (fire trucks). "There will also be a three-story training tower and maintenance bays," said project engineer Jeff Cravens. The stations are scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.

"The firehouses will have living areas, kitchens and dining facilities," he continued. "The complexes will be self-sustained with perimeter walls, guard towers, electrical generators and distributions, wells and water distribution systems, and sewer and wastewater treatment facilities."

"This project will provide more than facilities," Bartley said. "It will also provide employment, both directly for the workers on the site, and indirectly, for local suppliers of material."

Bartley said the contractor working on the project is "ready and willing to tackle and overcome challenges. We look forward to working with them to deliver a high-quality product on schedule."

Bartley also praised the USACE and Afghan team supervising the project.

"I am confident that Herat Area Engineer Tom Puckett, project manager Frances Hinkley, project engineer Jeff Cravens, Afghan project engineer Tariq Taheri and Aghan quality assurance representative Eraj Akbarpour will deliver this project, with all of its benefits, to the people of Herat."