By Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter 
Gallimore
WEST RURAL St. Andrew Opposition Member of Parliament, Andrew Gallimore, yesterday called on the government to make the necessary budgetary allocations of $600 million to the fire services so that the country can have the level of fire service it deserves.
Mr. Gallimore made the call on the motion of adjournment in the House of Representatives. He outlined how the country has been severely affected by a series of fires last year and this year.
He said that the government failed to address the issue and that the citizens of the country continue to suffer great losses. He noted that in many instances, the fires tend to strike persons in the lowest income bracket and often time these buildings are uninsured.
Making reference to an incident which occurred in his constituency, where a two-year-old child was burnt to death and his four-year-old sibling injured in the fire, Mr. Gallimore said it was just not good enough that the father of the child be sanctioned for his negligence.
He argued that the government of the country should also be held accountable for not providing a proper fire service.
"This government has been negligent. This
government has not provided a proper fire service for the citizens of this country for a great many years, what is the sanction for this negligence in not providing a proper fire service?" the Opposition MP asked.
PARENTS SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE
While supporting the call for a proper fire service, Minister of Labour and Social Security, Horace Dalley, pointed out that parents should be held accountable to supervise their children and that incidents like these should not be used to score political points.
He said the government was currently working on acquiring additional fire trucks and equipment. He said, "Even if you had three fire trucks and all the equipment in every station in Jamaica, you could not stop illicit fires, you can't stop persons who just stay around and persons who renege on their kids at home.
"I only hope that the death of the children will not be used to score any political points."
