Riga, October 15, 2015 – The U.S. Embassy is proud to announce an award of 286,883 EUR to renovate the Vidzeme Regional Brigade training facility of the State Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), Valmiera Division. The renovation is projected to be completed in the fall of 2016 and will create a new training hall and revamp the living quarters for local and regional fire fighters stationed in the Valmiera region. It is funded by U.S. European Command’s (EUCOM) Civic Engagement program (CE program) in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
Starting in 2009, the Latvian SFRS and the U.S. Embassy’s Office of Defense Cooperation have built and renovated 10 fire and rescue service stations throughout Latvia. The Civil Engagement program has invested approximately 2.3 million EUR in the Latvian SFRS.
The U.S. Embassy’s Office of Defense Cooperation also works closely with the Latvian State Emergency Medical Service (SEMS) to renovate and construct facilities for medical service first responders. The U.S. military has invested almost 1.6 million EUR in the Latvian SEMS. Current projects include the renovation of the Krasts District Ambulance Support Station and a new vehicle maintenance bay at the Duntes Iela Regional Management and Dispatch Center in Riga. In August 2014, the U.S. military completed a 873,343 EUR reconstruction of the Kurzeme Regional Dispatcher Center in Kuldiga.
Local company A/S UPB won the contract for the latest project in Valmiera, as part of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC). USACE recently awarded three MATOCs for projects in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. A MATOC is an acquisition tool used by the Europe District to set up master contracts for construction services with multiple awardees. The awardees constitute a pool of contractors who are prequalified to compete for subsequent task orders.
Services for these contracts include property repair and maintenance, environmental and force protection work, utility infrastructure and construction services. In addition to A/S UPB, the following Latvian companies work on U.S. military civil engagement projects in Latvia: SIA Abora, SIA Arcers, SIA RCI Gulbene, SIA Skonto Buve, ASFA Uluslararasi Insaat Sanayi VE Ticaret AS, Mitnijos Turto Valdymas UAB doing business as BaltiConstruction JV, Bauschmidt OU, Black & Veatch Special Projects Corp., Sociedad Española De Montajes Industriales SA (SEMI) and SKE Support Services GmbH.
