The longer the T&T Fire Service remains critically under-equipped, the longer this country is at risk of a full-scale fire disaster, with the potential for loss of life and property, particularly acute during the current hot spell.
Although there are many contributing factors in the unprecedented number of deadly house fires that have occurred in just the past few months, what stands out is the inability of firefighters to respond to these emergencies in time to avert tragedies.
The recent fire deaths come after years of warnings and complaints from firefighters, through their representatives, the Fire Service Association, about the critical lack of appliances and equipment at fire stations across the country.
There have been promises from the authorities that are yet to be fully met, way too many excuses and frustrating public sector bureaucracy hampering long promised acquisitions.
Neglect and chronic mismanagement, at the very worst, are the only ways to explain how fire stations located in some of the most heavily populated parts of the country—Woodbrook, Belmont, Morvant, Santa Cruz, Chaguaramas and Mayaro—are without trucks and other essential equipment.
Equally alarming is the situation at the Piarco Fire Station, the facility that services the country’s main airport, where several of the appliances are defective and could soon be inoperable.
This abysmal state of affairs in the T&T Fire Service has severely compromised response times in recent fire emergencies, leading to tragic outcomes.
A few days ago, Malcolm Diaz, a 98-year-old visually impaired man, died in a fire at his Santa Cruz home. Last month, Natasha Nancoo, 48, and her sons, Adesh Joseph, 10, and Enrique Reyes, 19, died in a fire at their Sangre Grande home and in July, house fires claimed the lives of 75-year-old Michael Cornum in Point Fortin and 78-year-old Winston Blake in Malick.
But the tragedy that put focus on the unacceptable state of the Fire Service were the deaths of Kemba Morris and her eight-year-old daughter, Zaya. They were trapped when a fire broke out in their home, located a short distance from the Siparia Fire Station, but because of a non-functioning fire tender, help did not get to them on time.
The public outcry after that incident in April, prompted responses from Chief Fire Officer Arnold Bristo and the National Security Ministry. Even Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley was moved to comment on that tragedy and there were undertakings to tackle the situation with urgency
However, five months later, little has changed. Many communities are unprotected and firefighters risk their lives every time they respond to emergencies because many of them don’t have breathing apparatus and other protective gear.
Two recently acquired fire trucks have not yet been registered, so they cannot be put into service at Piarco and Crown Point, and there is no word on when appliances will be procured for the stations that have been without tenders and other vital equipment for years.
With lives lost and many others at risk, it is taking way too long to fix the problems in the Fire Service.
The increased number of house fires is not the only cause for concern. This is a heavily industrialised nation, making the need for fully equipped emergency facilities even more urgent.
This situation should be responded to as a national emergency because that is what it is.