By Sue-Ann Wayow
FOR this year, there have been more than 800 bush fires that had to be attended to by the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Services (TTFS).
Chief Fire Officer Arnold Bristow told AZP News on Thursday that bush fires that occur during the dry season usually puts a strain on the fire service.
He also added that the TTFS was doing what it could to bring it up to full efficiency.
Bush fire figures:
- 2019- 3,842;
- 2020 – 3,674; and
- 2021 – 1,087.
Bristow said the figure for 2022 was lower than in 2021, adding that he could not say if there was any corelation to the figures and the Covid-19 pandemic.
He told AZP News that he was to get an updated statistic by Thursday on the reported bush fires from across the various fire divisions.
“We have seen a surge this year. It is not so much as people being outside but this year has been really extremely hot,” Bristow said
The TTFS has come under fire for not being able to effectively respond to a fire in Siparia that claimed the life of Kemba Morris, 42, and her eight-year-old daughter Zaya last Sunday.
Bristo acknowledged the challenges that were linked to Covid-19 and the dry season.
He said, “During the period, you will have vehicles that will go out and service because of the kind of strain that these appliances are placed under. The issue that makes it most challenging is the fact that we would have utilised our spares that we have in stock to maintain the appliances and keep the appliances going through the pandemic.”
With fire appliances being a specialised equipment, the process from order-to-construction-to-delivery, could take about 18 months the CFO said was “a normal process” when appliances were ordered.
Bristow said, “Those we would have ordered previously, some of them came into the country last month. We have another one we expect sometime in the next couple weeks and right now we are in the process of tendering for the stations that although they were open, the acquisition for the appliances for those stations was not complete so that is now being completed.”
The last order for appliances was made in 2020/2021 and those appliances were being delivered, he said.
For the Point Fortin and Mayaro fire stations, he said the tenders board was in the process of putting through the tender for those stations and six units were being additionally sourced.
One unit is being processed for the Woodbrook Fire Station that has been without an appliance for sometime.
Bristow said there were about five stations majorly affected, some of which had appliances but were in need of service.
The one at Chaguaramas was undergoing repairs, two appliances in service were scheduled to be handed back over today for the Northern Division and Central Division was also to get back one from service.
Bristo said the service times on an appliance was dependent on mileage, on the number of hours the appliance would have pumped water and other factors and could take one day or more than a week to be serviced.
Last week, the TTFS received tools that, Bristow said, it had been clamouring for and the engineering department was preparating to issue them to the different garages.
While the supply of water was also a challenge, he said, “We have been able to work around it. There are times when we need the water supply to be boosted in certain areas and Fire Service together with WASA and have that put in place.”
A specialised and custom-built water tender, to augment the capacity of the TTFS, to fight fires, in the Port of Spain area is also expected to arrive in the country soon as Bristow said that monies have been paid to have it shipped and it has passed its inspection.
He said an order for one for San Fernando would be included in the TTFS next purchase orders.
And there would be a need for more fire officers but that was being addressed.
When asked about persons who were critical of his statements publicised in the media, Bristow responded, “That is part of the course. Whether you do or you don’t do, you will have people that will criticise you. My focus is putting the fire service in a position that any eventually that takes place that requires a response from the organisation, that we could do so and do so to the best of our capabilities.”
Fire Service Association president Leo Ramkissoon had said that the TTFS was in a state of crisis with fire stations not properly equipped to deal with fires.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley in a Facebook post issued condolences to the Morris’s family members.
He stated, “We will continue to improve our ability and infrastructure to minimise the frequency of such occurrences.”
At a press conference on Thursday, WASA Chairman Ravindra Nanga said it was about to issue water restrictions as the dry season entered its peak in the months of April and May.
He noted, however, that these were just precautionary measures as there was no water crisis.
