Rio Claro spared inferno despite lack of fire truck

A fire at Persad’s the Food King, Rio Claro, shortly before noon on Wednesday, has turned the spotlight on the inadequacy of the fire services and the security risk to people in the area.

Chairman of the Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation Raymond Cozier said the region has been without a fire tender over a year and tenders from Mayaro and Princes Town were relied on to avert a disaster on Wednesday.

He said water trucks from the corporation as well privately owned ones were used to provide water, as there was none in the hydrant.

“This is ridiculous and unacceptable. If it was a poor man’s building on fire, the consequences would have been dire.”

Calls to owner Vernon Persad were not answered, but councillor David Law told the Newsday he understands the fire started in a warehouse at the back of the supermarket around noon. It was brought under control within 45 minutes.

He said no one was injured and all employees were accounted for.

T&TEC also responded and disconnected power in the area.

Law said fire officers were able to contain the fire and prevent the spread to the supermarket. He estimated a small part of the building was damaged, but could not estimate damages in terms of goods or other assets.

No cause has yet been determined, as fire and police officers are still investigating.

Meanwhile, Cozier lamented the neglect of the region.

“The Rio Claro fire station has been without a fire tender for the longest while. We had to call in tenders from Mayaro and Princes Town. We had the corporations on standby to give water. They (the owners) had to arrange private trucks to bring water to bring the fire under control.

“For years the fire service has operated without an ambulance service. If something happens, they have to wait on the ambulance which is sometimes in San Fernando or in Princes Town. We don’t have an ambulance stationed in the region, where our roads are in the worse condition(they have) ever been.

“The constituency and region of Mayaro/Rio Claro is seriously neglected by the Government.

"We have no fire tenders. Recently they removed the police emergency response unit from Rio Claro and sent it to Sangre Grande.”

After MP Rushton Paray wrote letters and “some noise was made,” one vehicle was returned.

“Before, there were four vehicles – two in Mayaro and two in Rio Claro. Now there is only one. The Rio Claro vehicle has to run to Mayaro if some emergency happens in Mayaro, and if something happens in Rio Claro, the Mayaro vehicle has to respond.

“So although we have an emergency response vehicle, we are still not adequately resourced for the emergency response team to effectively and efficiently function."

He said the Government was not paying attention.

“If that was a poor person’s home, that whole home would have been burnt down before the fire tenders reached. Because it is on a large compound, (a) concrete structure and it was in the back area, by the time the fire trucks reached, they were able to do some containment and keep it in the back there.

"But it is really, really sad.”