BROWN'S TOWN, St. Ann:
BROWN'S TOWN Community College students have being relocated to the Social Development Commission (SDC) building for classes to resume yesterday. The institution was extensively damaged by fire on Sunday morning.
Three groups, comprising some 70 students doing the associate degree in hospitality, will go to the Addison Park SDC complex. Plans are under way for the relocation of other classes.
Reports are that the fire, believed to be caused by an electrical short circuit, started near to 7:00 a.m. and quickly engulfed a significant section of the building.
Fire fighters (three units from Brown's Town, St. Ann's Bay and Kaiser Bauxite Company) fought the blaze and put it out at about 10:30 a.m. Two rapid response units from the National Water Commission later turned up and assisted with cooling down operations. However, sections were still smouldering up to Monday evening.
Principal of the Brown's Town Community College, James Walsh, told The Gleaner that six classrooms, which were used for lectures and held up to 60 students per class, along with 14 offices which housed 30 teachers, three computer labs, nine computers, the student union office, furniture, books, papers, desks, tape recorders and radios were completely destroyed.
However, over 70 computers were saved, and the food lab also escaped damage although the electricity supply was affected.
Only 30 of the computers will be moved from the Community College to SDC as space is not available for more. The auditorium at the community college will be used to hold about three classes and classes will also be held under trees. Attempts are being made to get a tent from the Office of Disaster Preparedness to be used as a classroom, in case of rain, Mr. Walsh said. The damage was assessed by the college's insurance company but the college has not been advised of damage estimate as yet, said the principal.
Sunday's fire was the institution's second in four years. According to the Brown's Town Fire Brigade the last fire took place on April 23, 1996.
