Brusafe is yet another Brussels financial debacle

In 2016, the Brussels government decided to bring four safety schools - including the fire school and the police school - under one roof. In the meantime, the government has already spent more than EUR 11 million, while work on the safety school has still not started. The Blue Star buildings initially purchased proved unsuitable. The government must again spend millions of euros on the purchase and adaptation of buildings on the Thurn & Taxis site. “Complete incompetence,” Brussels MP Mathias Vanden Borre says.

In 2016, the Brussels government at the time decided to bring four safety schools, including the fire school and the police school, under one roof at the Blue Star site in Haren. It paid more than EUR 1.6 million for this at that time. In addition, more than EUR 2 million was spent to renovate three of the six existing buildings. “But last year, the Prime Minister had to admit that the Blue Star site turned out not to be large enough for Brusafe’s activities and that the renovation costs would be too high. Incompetence. It seems as if this government just buys buildings without any plan or vision. The real reason behind this administrative error remains unclear. Who benefits?” Mathias Vanden Borre asks.

Unexpected

It was then decided to integrate Brusafe into the future main fire station. Yet another unexpected decision, as the plans for the station were already ready. The entire project must therefore go back to the drawing board to make room for Brusafe. The former Stellantis garage was bought for EUR 4.3 million for this, next to the site where the fire station is to be built. The cost of this work is estimated at EUR 3.5 million. However, the repurposing is not straightforward, because the Stellantis buildings were designed as garages. The deal came about on the sidelines of the sale of the iconic Citroën building - where the Kanal museum will be located - to the Region. Another one of those shady property deals. A day centre for transmigrants is currently being organised in the Stellantis garage buildings.

Not even a shooting range

“The Brussels government is presenting the relocation of Brusafe to the future main fire station as a “good governance” decision with cost savings and efficiency gains. But Brusafe has already cost EUR 11 million and it is anything but fully operational. For example, no shooting range will be built at the future site, and it is questionable whether there will be enough space for all of Brusafe’s training courses. What police school can do without a shooting range or other training facilities?”

Too small

The Stellantis site has an area of approximately 8,000 m². The built-up area is about 3,500 m². “However, Brusafe’s initial needs programme stipulated that a site of at least 15,000 m² and a building of approximately 10,000 m² were required to organise all training, both theoretical and practical. There will be synergies with the future fire station, but will they suffice? In the meantime, the city of Brussels itself is opening a training school for its police zone - with a shooting range - on Béjarlaan. The safety professions are disadvantaged by this chaotic administration,” Vanden Borre concludes.