Senior Reporter
dareece.polo@guardian.co.tt
As the anniversary of the deadly Farfan Street fire approaches, the family of the late D’abadie/O’Meara (now Malabar/Mausica) MP Lisa Morris-Julian is appealing to the Government for full access to the official investigative report, insisting transparency is critical for accountability and closure.
The appeal follows comments by Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander in a daily newspaper, in which he said Cabinet agreed not to make the report public to avoid re-traumatising the family. Alexander also disclosed that fire officers involved in the incident were exonerated by the investigation.
But Morris-Julian’s sister, Jozanne, said the family wants full disclosure of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of her sister and her two children.
“Reading the report is important to us to figure out what happened, you know, what didn’t happen. And it may not do anything for us because there’s nothing that can be done to bring back my sister, my niece, and my nephew. But it may prevent further travesty going down the line for other families. And Lisa has always put service before herself, so even if it is her death is one last act of service, well, so be it.”
She said the family was already aware that investigators found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing, but stressed that their concern lies elsewhere.
“What our concern is, is what actually transpired in terms of getting assistance to the house,” she said. “We want to know what happened because I stood up and watched my sister’s house burn down in front of my eyes. I was there before the fire services.”
The fire occurred just steps away from the Arima Fire Station, a fact that has deepened the family’s questions.
“I’ve lived all my life on 8 Farfan Street, and all my life I have lived conscious of the fact that I’m a stone’s throw away from the Arima Fire Station,” she said. “So, reading the report is important to us to figure out what happened, what didn’t happen.”
She said neighbours made repeated calls for help and even ran to the fire station as the blaze intensified.
“I want to know what happened. Like, what transpired? Why the officers that received the report, even if the fire truck was not at the location, why the thought of people being trapped in a building on fire did not urge them to put on gear and see how they could assist,” she said.
Guardian Media contacted Morris-Julian’s husband, Daniel Julian, who also said he wants the report released.
Morris-Julian, who was then a minister in the Ministry of Education, died alongside her 25-year-old daughter Xianne and six-year-old son Jesiah in the blaze at the family’s Farfan Street home in Arima on December 16 last year. The early-morning fire broke out around 5.30 am while eight people were inside the house. Five occupants escaped.
“I want to understand why it is it took so long for an appliance to arrive. I want to understand. I want to know everything,” Jozanne said. “This has affected my life for the rest of my life. My sister is my best friend.”
She also questioned why the public should be shielded from the findings of the report.
“I think it’s important for the public to know what happened because I don’t think that anybody understands how we relive this daily,” she said, referring to ongoing speculation and political commentary surrounding the tragedy. She stressed that the family’s appeal is not political.
“At this point in time, it’s not about politics. It’s about systems, because systems save lives, and it clearly did not save my sister’s life,” she said.
Responding to the family’s renewed calls, Minister Alexander said he had spoken directly with Morris-Julian’s husband and was now seeking guidance on how to proceed.
“I spoke to the deceased’s husband, and he made a request of me as the Minister of Homeland Security. I will engage the Honourable Prime Minister and seek her guidance as to how I should proceed.”
As the one-year anniversary arrives, the family is marking the date quietly. Morris-Julian’s constituency proceeded with the annual Christmas tree lighting in her honour yesterday, a project she helped plan shortly before her death.
The family has also dedicated masses and invited members of the public to light candles at the site of the fire on December 16.
