Riga, March 15, 2016 – U.S. Embassy Riga Chargé d’Affaires Sharon Hudson-Dean, Latvian Minister of Health Guntis Belēvičs and Director of State Emergency Medical Service Sarmīte Villere will participate in a groundbreaking ceremony for a Civic Engagement Project at Riga Regional District Ambulance Support Station (DASS) “Centrs” on Duntes iela in Riga at 14:00 on March 15th.
The U.S European Command (USEUCOM) CE project will invest $253,831 to construct a new maintenance garage for cleaning emergency vehicles after returning from emergency calls. The State Emergency Medical Service (SEMS) HQs currently are located on a compound nearby that does not have a maintenance garage. The DASS “Centrs” has 292 employees, 19 emergency teams, and 27 emergency vehicles, and services an area of 599 square km and 129,170 people in Riga (Center and North regions), Adazi, Carnikava, Saulkrasti and Sejas districts. In 2015, 19 emergency teams responded to 60,035 emergency calls.
USEUCOM and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) approved and funded the project at the end of 2013. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) awarded the contract to SIA “Velve-AE” in August 2014. The project is scheduled to be completed by September 2016. The SEMS will provide project construction supervision for 4,000 Euros, and SEMS will provide video surveillance for the new building at a cost of approximately 4,300 Euros.
NOTE TO THE EDITOR:
The groundbreaking ceremony will start at 14:00 on Tuesday, March 15, at Duntes street 8, Riga. The ceremony will include placing a time capsule into the foundation and remarks from U.S. Embassy Riga Chargé d’Affaires Sharon Hudson-Dean. The event is open to media. Please plan to arrive no later than 13:45.
