THE FIRE at King's Plaza in a section of Kingston's busy uptown commercial district earlier this week, which caused extensive damage to a number of businesses, might have been brought under control more speedily and with less destruction had the Fire Brigade units which were fighting it been properly equipped. Quite apart from the problem of water supply, a firefighter cannot safely enter a smoking building unless he is wearing a breathing apparatus. These masks, as well as many other basic items, have not been available to the Brigade for many months, and we support the call of Major Benson, head of the Brigade, that something be done about the situation immediately.
The King's Plaza fire has brought the equipment crisis to a head, not only in the Fire Brigade but in the Jamaica Constabulary Force. The inability of firefighters to cope with a future conflagration could well result in heavy loss of life and destruction of residential or commercial property. As we understand it the Brigade has not been properly trained to deal with fires in high-rise buildings and to respond to a major earthquake. Even such basic items as flashlights and coils of rope are not available.
In its efforts to meet fiscal targets the Government should not resort to crude tactics like throwing away the cheque book. Priorities need to be established and sensible judgements made as to how to fund them. After all, it was the government that put the nation in the present straitjacket to begin with.
There seems to be a lack of responsibility and imagination across the board on the part of the Government in providing the basic necessities for public services. The deplorable state of some police stations, for example, comes to mind. It is scandalous also that a forensic machine for identifying the guns in murder cases has been out of commission for over two years and the Minister of National Security is just getting around to ordering a new one.
The time has come for those who are being asked to work without the necessary tools to shout loudly about the situation so that public opinion can be mobilised to demand immediate remedial action.
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