Groundbreaking for New Chiayi Xingang Fire Brigade Building, Nearly NT$100 Million to Boost Rescue Efficiency

(Central News Agency, Chiayi County, June 12) The groundbreaking ceremony for the new office building of the Xingang Branch, 2nd Brigade of the Chiayi County Fire Bureau, with a total project cost exceeding NT$97 million, was held today. Upon completion, it will strengthen the overall disaster prevention and rescue capabilities of the Xingang area, improve the operational efficiency of firefighters, and protect the public.

Deputy Director-General of the National Fire Agency, Jian Wan-yao, Chiayi County Magistrate Weng Chang-liang, Fire Bureau Director Tsai Jian-an, and Xingang Township Mayor Yeh Meng-lung presided over the祭祀 and groundbreaking ceremony today, praying for a smooth and safe construction process.

Magistrate Weng stated in his speech that the Xingang Branch's building, having been used for many years, can no longer meet the needs of modern firefighting services in terms of space and equipment. With local development and increasing population activities, various disaster rescue and emergency medical service cases have also risen year by year. To strengthen the overall disaster prevention and rescue capabilities of the Xingang area, the county government has secured funding from the central government to build a modern, professional, and multifunctional fire station.

Director Tsai stated that the total project cost is NT$97,052,000, with NT$30,526,000 subsidized by the central government and NT$66,526,000 raised by the county. The plan is to build a three-story office building, which will include office spaces, duty and rest areas, equipment rooms, garages, and training facilities. It will also introduce more comprehensive rescue and emergency medical equipment to enhance the efficiency and safety of frontline firefighters in performing their duties.

Deputy Director-General Jian expressed gratitude to the county government for continuously investing in firefighting infrastructure and personnel welfare despite limited financial resources. This includes increasing hazardous duty pay for firefighters, promoting the construction and renovation of old stations, updating ambulance equipment, and replacing old fire vehicles, all to comprehensively improve fire rescue capabilities and the working environment.

Mayor Yeh noted that the original fire station was located in downtown Xingang, adjacent to Fengtian Temple. During important local festivals and large-scale events, the surrounding roads often become congested, affecting traffic and potentially delaying firefighting and emergency rescue response times. The new station is located near the township office, where road conditions are better and traffic space is wider. This will effectively improve these issues and enhance rescue and emergency medical efficiency in the future. (Editor: Liang Jundi) 1150612