24 New Fire Trucks Commissioned

The T&T Fire Service received 24 vehicles and appliances and other fire fighting equipment yesterday. But although the arrival of the vehicles came just one week away from the start of the Fifth Summit of the Americas, they had no connection with the summit, says Minister in the Ministry of National Security Donna Cox. The commissioning of the new vehicles and equipment took place yesterday at Fire Services Headquarters, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain. Cox could not give a costing for the vehicles and equipment.

“Actually, this was running a long time ago, but we didn’t get the vehicles right away because we had to order them from specific locations,” Cox said. She said the new appliances and vehicles should improve the response time and efficiency of the Fire Service. “The commissioning of the new appliances and vehicles represents Government’s intention to comprehensively ensure that the nation’s fire fighters have modern equipment to provide efficient and professional service to the nation,” she added. She said it was also Government’s intention that by 2010 it would have made major strides in modernising and upgrading the Fire Service.

Included in this modernising plan, she said, would be the construction and refurbishment of several fire stations. “Stations at Rio Claro, Mon Repos, Princes Town, Siparia, Point Fortin, Woodbrook, Four Roads, Tunapuna, Chaguaramas, Arouca, Wrightson Road and Lady Hailes, San Fernando, are currently in the design and review stage,” she said. She said the Couva South and Sangre Grande Fire Stations had already been completed and were being refurbished and equipped before being commissioned. The Piarco Fire Station, she said, would be soon occupied.

The new vehicles and equipment commissioned yesterday were:
• Six water tenders
• Five water tankers
• Two Hazmat vehicles
• One emergency tenders
• One hose laying lorry
• One car carrier (flat bed wrecker)
• Four passenger buses
• Two double cab light trucks
• Six high pressure portable pumps.

Source: http://guardian.co.tt/

New Fire Service Headquarters At Advanced Stage

The Minister for Home Affairs and National Security has been updating the nation on ongoing works on the site which will soon house the operations of the Saint Lucia Fire and Emergency Services.

Honourable Guy Mayers says government is spending a ‘pretty penny’ on the former Coconut Growers Association property, now being modified to suit the functions of the Saint Lucia Fire and Emergency Services. The minister says relief is on the way.

"There have been a number of setbacks with that project but I am pleased to announce that we’ve finally gotten over these hurdles and work is going on in earnest to complete the facility,” Senator Mayers said.

Work on the site began last year after a visit from the Planning Division to the proposed location along with fire service and ministry representatives. Minister Mayers has empathized with the plight of the fire service men and women, who have had to undergo an extended wait for their new headquarters.

"Again similarly to the police, the old Central Fire Service Headquarters was damaged as a result of the earthquake in 2007, and we had to spread the operations of the management of the fire service at two different locations. The appliances are currently housed at the La Toc Police Training Centre.”

Government was able to lease the site after a tedious search for a suitable location. The new facility is expected to be ready by mid-year.

Early Morning City Fire Ravages Two Homes

Residents of Spruce Street, The City, awoke to find two homes in their neighbourhood engulfed in flames early yesterday morning. The fire completely destroyed an unoccupied house and extensively damaged another before fire officers could contain the blaze.

Ten officers with two fire tenders from Fire Service Headquarters under the command of Divisional Officer Lloydson Phillips and Station Officer Evans Morris attended the incident.

Two persons were reported to be displaced as a result of yesterday’s blaze.

Investigations into the cause of the fire are continuing.

Source: www.bajanfirefighters.blogspot.com

East Dry River Fire Leaves Dad Of 3 Homeless

FIRE of unknown origin yesterday gutted a house in East Dry River, Port-of-Spain leaving a 47-year-old father of three homeless and over $125,000 in losses.

Gerald Jacob said he left his Fromager Street, East Dry River home at about 7.45 am and headed to his workplace which is located not too far from his home. Two hours later, he saw smoke and decided to see what was going on.

“It was then that I got a call on my cellphone from a neighbour who said my house was on fire. By the time I reached home, my house was already in flames,” Jacob said. “I lost everything. Two apartments and even my little workshop with all my tools and machinery. It’s all gone.”

Jacob who said he works for the Catholic Board as a maintenance officer, said he was not too concerned as to where he would be staying because he knew he could rely on family and even friends for lodgings. What worries him is finance to rebuild.

“I hope I can pick myself up here and move on. But I know financially that is going to be one of the hardest things I will come across. Is 20 years now I living here. I would have to seek assistance to have the place rebuilt.”

The fire from Jacob’s home spread to one of his neighbour’s houses and caused severe damage to the upper storey and the western end of the building.

Fire officials said their response was hampered because their trucks were unable to reach the burning house because of the narrow roads. In the end, they had to link two hoses to reach the house. Investigations are continuing.

Source: www.newsday.co.tt

Quick Thinking Prevents Major Linden Fire

A fine `busing’ prevented a small fire at the Krescent Mall at Mackenzie, Linden from ending up as a major catastrophe yesterday.

No one believed Kevin Baron when he ran into the mall and admonished them to evacuate. “Twice, I calmly told everyone that there was a fire and that they should evacuate but no one took me seriously I had to put on deh ghetto style and say deh #$%^% building on fire,” he told Stabroek News. It was at that point he said persons took him seriously and rushed to secure their shops before evacuating. No one was injured.

Baron is one of the store owners and he was at his music shop some distance away when a man told him that there was a fire at the mall. “Well I know I got massive investments in my business there. I grabbed my slippers and ran over to the store,” he said.

One tenant told Stabroek News that she had just returned from the secondary school costume competition and was in her ice-cream shop. “We smell dis strong smoke but thought it was some heap burning on the outside of the building,” she said. But she became concerned when she noticed smoke engulfing the building and consistent irregular crackling sounds coming from the ceiling. The fire was discovered when she went outside and noticed heavy smoke streaming out of the ceiling of the bottom floor. Others also became very confused when they saw heavy smoke engulfing the building.

A man who was doing some work on the inside of the build yesterday said he noticed heavy sparks coming out of electrical outlets.

Others on the bottom flat of the two-storey building said that they were forced to constantly change light bulbs since they blew frequently.

Firefighters had to break open the concrete casing of the outer section of the building where the fire was in order to put out the flames.

All feared the worst had the fire broken out at night, when no one was in the building.

Tenants of the mall were high in their praise for the quick response of the Linden firefighters.e mall, managed by Reginald Sancho and partners, houses approximately thirty tenants. He could not be reached for comment.

Source: www.stabroeknews.com