Built in 1974, the fire station was critical to the safe operation of the island’s dockyard due, in part, to the presence of hazards such as the storage and use of flammable chemicals as well as the movement of both naval and civilian vessels. Further, the island’s remoteness from the mainland – and the fact that it could only be reached by boat – meant that if a blaze broke out, the fire brigade would be significantly delayed in extinguishing it.