Photo By Michelle Cornell | U.S. Navy Captain David Jayne, commanding officer for Officer in Charge of...... read more read more
Team members from Officer in Charge of Construction (OICC) Florence and leaders and guest from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point attended a topping out ceremony for Military Construction Project 142B; one of six fire Stations being built or renovated on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and MCAS Cherry Point. Military Construction Project 142B was the last topping out ceremony for fire station construction projects under OICC Florence.
The topping out ceremony was hosted on July 8 by the contractor of record, Whiting and Turner Contracting Company. Topping out ceremonies are a tradition in the construction industry and signify a major milestone for construction crews.
“The last steel beam placed is a major milestone in the evolution of a building project,” said Justin Varley, construction manager for OICC Florence. “This milestone is commemorated by painting the beam white and having the steel erection crew, construction team designers, owners, and other dignitaries sign the beam to signify prosperity.”
The new single-story, three-bay, approximately 16,000-square-foot building will include a backup dispatch center and serve as a satellite fire station for MCAS Cherry Point Fire and Emergency Service personnel.
Members of the fire and emergency unit were in attendance for the ceremony and added some additional memorabilia to the steel beam.
“The photo is of our former chief, Ken Lavoie, who passed away unexpectedly in December of 2022. Lavoie retired in December of 2013, after serving as the chief since 2006,” said Jimmy Sanders, assistant fire chief for MCAS Cherry Point. “He hired much of our current staff, and I wanted to ensure he was part of the new firehouse. The other patches and stickers are our official patch and one of them an employee designed.”
In addition, a small evergreen tree and U.S. Flag was adorned to the beam prior to its placement.
“The evergreen tree is a key symbol in the steel trade and signifies construction has reached the sky without loss of life, or injury, and bodes well for the future inhabitants of the building,” said Varley. “The custom [of topping out ceremonies] celebrates the construction process and is the first introduction of the building to the public. The ceremony honors the accomplishments of the construction crews.”
Military Construction Project 142B began in April of 2023 and is part of a $149 million package of other construction projects on Cherry Point including a main fire house, the Provost Marshal’s Office, a building for headquarters support battalion and a motor transport and communication building. Demolition of the two existing fire stations on Cherry Point is also part of the project and will begin once the new buildings are complete.
According to Sanders, the fire stations are essential to their mission.
“Two of our three fire stations at Cherry Point are over 80 years old and we have outgrown them; they do not adequately serve the missions for a modern fire department,” said Sanders. “In addition, both firehouses are moving to a more centralized location for their respective response zones. This will aid us in providing a more timely response for emergency calls for service.”
The new fire stations are scheduled for completion in December of 2024.
OICC Florence provides world-class engineering, construction, and acquisition services supporting the Marine Corps’ recovery from Hurricane Florence and deployment of the Joint Strike Fighter, re-establishing the readiness of expeditionary forces for MCIEAST and II Marine Expeditionary Force.
For more updates and information about OICC Florence, visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/oiccflorenceor our website at https://atlantic.navfac.navy.mil/NAVFAC-Worldwide/OICC-Florence/.
| Date Taken: | 07.08.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.02.2024 10:39 |
| Story ID: | 477559 |
| Location: | CHERRY POINT , NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 55 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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