Dwayne McLeod, Staff Reporter

A resident 'takes charge' of the Port Royal Fire Station yesterday after firefighters obeyed evacuation orders and left the town. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

As Hurricane Dean barrelled south of Jamaica yesterday setting off flooding fears in Port Royal, residents were up in arms as the town did not have a single fireman.

While firefighters heeded evacuation warnings in the peninsular town which is particularly prone to storm surges, most Port Royal residents chose to stick it out - as they often have.

But according to them, the firemen have deserted them in the face of disaster before.

"Di fireman dem gone eenuh, dem nuh normally stay when storm a come," one resident said.

They, however, conceded that there had been numerous efforts by the authorities to usher them to safety. "Is only'bout eight or nine people gone a di shelter, everybody else seh dem nah leave," a resident explained.

"We're safe and covered by the grace of God. Leave and go where?" another resident asked.

"You ever hear nutten happen to Port Royal?" asked one resident. "Them always sensationalise Port Royal and after the hurricane nutten no happen."

This comment makes reference to the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan where some persons evacuated and went to shelters but returned to find their homes safe and secure, while they endured harsh conditions at the shelter. They said the people were treated "badly". "It still fresh in their memories that's why a lot of persons not leaving," said Rohan.

Parking lot

But the residents wasted no time in exploiting the firefighters' absence, parking their personal vehicles on the fire station's property.

"Ah we lock di place, we have di key, so we jus' using the space fi secure some a di car dem," said Mikey, 20, while giving parking instructions.

But the lone cop at the Port Royal Police Station said residents could not expect the firefighters' help if they failed to obey evacuation orders.

One of the firemen who was relocated as a precautionary measure to the York Park Fire Station on Orange Street in Kingston admitted to The Gleaner that they would have stayed if the decision had been theirs.

"If it was our say, to be honest, quite a few of us would have stayed, because Port Royal is a nice place with some nice people," the firefighter said.

dwayne.mcleod@gleanerjm.com