Fire-station audit: A shame and disgrace

• St James Fire Dept yearns for upgrade, proper working conditions
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Sheena Gayle, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

With meagre resources, limited functioning equipment and the absence of a fire station in Jamaica's tourism capital, firefighters attached to the St James Fire Department need an intervention that will improve their less-than-satisfactory working conditions.

According to the head of the St James Fire Department, Superintendent Dolfin Doeman, he has a staff complement of 152 firefighters in St James, 52 persons less than the recommended number.

The 50-year-old structure that previously housed firefighters on Barnett Street in downtown Montego Bay was demolished in 2006 - due to serious health hazards - with the intent to rebuild.

The firefighters, who were then relocated to a property in the Montego Freeport area, are still waiting for the new building.

"Our location (at Freeport) is greatly compromised because we are located next to a petroleum plant and that is a fire hazard," explained Doeman.

He added that should there be a major issue at the plant, their location and the firefighters themselves would be in serious danger of being wiped out.

To compound their fears, the temporary location cannot withstand the impact of a hurricane.

"The sturdiness of the building, in my opinion, is cause for concern and we don't know if we will have a building left if we have a major hurricane."

When The Gleaner visited the location, it was observed that the wooden structure that houses the firefighters is supported only by concrete blocks on some sections of the building. A zinc roof offered the only assurance of shelter and the cramped space that the firefighters call their base was equivalent to a three-bedroom house.

The mattresses in the makeshift dormitory were old and worn. There was no dining area so firefighters have to make do with eating on the outside in a less than convenient manner.

The absence of a proper dormitory, a storage area for work gear, and a sanitised dining area, are key on the fire chief's wishlist.

"If our firefighters are not comfortable, it affects their morale, and the output that we expect from them will not be forthcoming," Doeman said.

Several firefighters suffer the indignity of having to use duct tape to hold their shoes together, and wear substandard gear to combat fires on a daily basis.

The St James Fire Department is without its two hydraulic fire trucks used to combat fires on high-rise buildings, a foam-tender fire unit to deal with fires that water is unable to extinguish and a rescue truck that is necessary when there is a natural disaster. The department has three units - two short of what is needed. One unit is based at Sangster Internatioanl Airport.

There is also no fireboat in St James, where there are at least two cruise ship calls per week.

Doeman explained that if there was a fire at sea involving cruise ships or other vessels, St James' firefighters would be unable to respond as they do not possess the equipment to do so.

"What we have to do is to look at what we have and plan how we deploy them. It is absolutely important that we are given the equipment and tools that we need to execute our duties effectively," he stated. "We want to work, we want to deliver because the communities expect us to be there when they call. All we want is to be equipped to assist when we are called upon."