THE EDITOR, Sir:
I READ with horror the article published recently about a resident of Westmoreland who lost his entire business to fire because there was no working fire engine. Then again on Friday, July 16, there was a fire that left 60 people homeless in Canterbury, St. James.
This begs the question: why do we have a Fire Brigade Service? Why pay men and they don't have the tools to do the job? Is the head of the Fire Department just warming a chair?
The community that I have lived in for the past 25 years has never had a fire hydrant serviced over all this time. About three years ago, our community made representation to the Fire Brigade for the servicing of these hydrants; to date there has been no response. Are firemen not responsible for the maintenance of their equipment, or is it just the domino table and the ludo board that are important? It has been reported that fire trucks have turned up at fires, empty, hose couplings leaking, dry rotted leaking hoses, nozzles broken, hydrant valves seized, hydrants broken. We just can't blame the lack of funds for these failures, as there are several thousand idle man-hours weekly in the service. Maintenance is the most important aspect in providing a reliable service and given the proper management, the cost of running this most valuable emergency service could probably be reduced by 50 per cent and the cost to the nation would be immeasurable.
Finally the insurance companies have an interest in helping us through this present period, and may wish to look at ways they may contribute as a group, to providing some funding to restore these vital pieces of equipment. They too can save themselves and the nation tens of millions by making a very small and prudent investment now.
I am, etc.,
ANTHONY MOYSTON
coyabo@mail.infochan.com
Mammee Bay,
St. Ann
