The Belize National Coast Guard was formed two years ago and, 56 strong, they showed their prowess last month when they led a Herculean search effort for the 7 anglers who went missing at sea. And a week after celebrating its second anniversary, the Coast Guard today toasted to the future - 35 miles away from Belize City. Keith Swift has the story from Calabash Caye.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This afternoon representatives from the U.S. Embassy, the Belize government, and the Coast Guard's Commandant broke ground on the future site of the Coast Guard's Forward Operational Base. The base will be built here on Calabash Caye, an island located 35 miles east of Belize City. It is a pretty large island and the base will be built on fourteen acres which have been acquired by the Coast Guard.
The base will be built along Calabash Caye's pristine beach. This is what the finished product will look like. There will be two buildings: the main operations center, two piers, and a maintenance building. Chris Reich from the Naval Facilities Engineering Command in Virginia will be supervising the construction.
Chris Reich, Naval Facilities Engineering Command
"We are going to be building an operations building, a maintenance building, a main pier for their boats, and then in the back of the site we are going to be building a small pier for their smaller boats."
Commandant of the Coast Guard Cedric Borland says Calabash Caye is an ideal location. But it's not because of it pristine beach, tempting sea, or scenic view. He says the Caye is a strategic location for Coast Guard operations.
Brig. Gen. Cedric Borland, Commandant
"This facility is going to put us right into the active area of our operations. It is about 35 miles away from Belize City and when we need to respond to search and rescue or any other illegal activity out here at sea, we will
be able to respond with minimum time. It gives us that lead time in responding to any search and rescue or any other illegal activity that is occurring here. I must mention that this location is east of Belize City and is at a sort of equidistance between the farthest point north and Belizean waters and the farthest point south and so we believe that a location like this will give us that advantage in our response time."
Two Coast Guard vessels will be permanently posted at the base along with 16 officers. The plan for the base was drafted by Belizean engineers and it will be built by a Belizean contractor but construction is being funded by the U.S. government.
Chris Reich,
"We'll probably start seeing the building work starts right after Christmas and then the pier work will start about the same time frame, probably January or February. We hope to be done by say November time frame next year."
Construction of the base should cost one million U.S dollars. The Coast Guard started with 56 officers and today still have 56 officers along with 8 vessels. The Coast Guard plans to construct bases in Big Creek and Northern Ambergris Caye and a main base at Belizean Beach.
