- FILE
This fire truck at the Waterford Fire Station in Portmore, St. Catherine, like many others, breaks down frequently.
Tyrone ReidStaff Reporter
THE 33 firefighting vehicles that the Government is adding to the depleted fleet of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) will not be sufficient to rehabilitate the failing brigade, according to fire service officials.
They believe, however, that acquiring the vehicles is a step in the right direction. Recently in Parliament, Minister of Local Government, Portia Simpson Miller revealed that the Government has awarded a contract for US$9.2 million ($550m) to Rosenbauer America for the procurement of the vehicles. A date has not been set for the contract signing.
NEW VEHICLES
Acting Commissioner Frederick Whyte said that the arrival of the new vehicles would give the JFB an opportunity to rehabilitate the overworked units but it would not put the service at optimal level. He revealed that plans are afoot to procure the specialised units, "but until then, we are in a bad state in terms of fighting fires on high-rise buildings".
At present, he said, the nation only has three of the units built to battle fires on high-rise buildings and "they are just limping along".
Acting Commissioner Whyte argued that for these 33 vehicles to have the desired effect on the fire service, the Government must implement a phased purchasing programme over the next couple of years instead of "waiting until all of them mash up one time like what we are doing now."
Information gleaned through the Access to Information Act showed that the fire service is grossly understaffed and underequipped. The present staff complement stands at 1,708: 1,455 uniformed and 95 non-uniformed. However, that figure is almost 400 shy of the required staff complement of 2,104: 1,941 uniformed and 163 non-uniformed.
"We are now recruiting and starting training, hopefully, beginning September 18, to get another 220 persons ... By early January they will be on the job," he explained.
Currently, there are 33 fire stations islandwide and only half of the required 50 regular pumpers, which are referred to as the "workhorse of the brigade", are in action. Stations such as York Park and Half-Way Tree, which need four and two respectively, don't have an operational workhorse.
Additionally, Acting Commissioner Whyte said the JFB is in the process of putting to tender a bid to procure $60 million worth of much-needed apparatus. "For the past years, we have not bought anything but this year, luckily, we have some money to buy some of these equipments," he said.
JFB INVENTORY
The JFB currently has 25 working pumpers, which are the regular firefighting trucks. An additional 33 are to be procured soon. However, it needs about 70 pumpers. There are three operational hydraulic platforms. JFB says it needs another four to assist in fighting fires on high-rise buildings. Emergency tenders are used to respond to crash scenes. Only two out of three on the island are operational. JFB says it will be getting four but needs more based on the frequency of car accidents. Only two of three turntable ladders, which are also used in fighting fires on high-rise buildings, are in commission. JFB says it needs another three. Three fireboats are on the island. JFB says it needs another three to replace the existing ones. JFB has three water tankers but says it needs an additional six. Another 13 utility vehicles, which are used for auxiliary purposes, are needed to complement the existing fleet of 15. JFB has five ambulances but says it needs an additional four.
