Facing the fire

Acting fire sub officer Patrick Anderson Dick Jnr warned citizens on Wednesday that the next time he goes out to fight a fire and doesn’t have the required protective equipment, a member of the public might die.

On Easter Monday, Mr Dick and six officers responded to a call at Zion Hill in Penal. One of them entered a burning building to search for a woman and her baby who were believed to be inside.

The house turned out to be unoccupied, but all six firemen had to be treated for acute smoke inhalation and are now on medical leave.

Keone Guy, Fire Service Association president, confirmed the dramatic concerns of his fellow officer, noting that there are just ten functional breathing apparatus kits in TT – when the Fire Service needs at least 400.

In this unfortunate situation, everyone loses. Firemen are placed in unnecessary danger, families lose property – and people die. The government faces the anger of the public, justly inflamed by an apparent lack of attention to firefighting support.

In 2022 alone, the fire service responded to 662 fires in buildings ranging from industrial buildings to houses.

A firefighter is, on his own, a poor response to a raging blaze. An effective firefighter is a combination of appropriate training, equipment designed to manage blazes of varying sizes and protective gear that allows the person controlling that equipment to function in an environment that is antithetical to life.

Firefighters are called on to demonstrate a range of skills, which include an awareness of building construction and potential structural weaknesses, an understanding of the nuances of fire hazard and forcible-entry techniques, to name a few.

They bring these skills to bear in environments that are often characterised by overbearing heat, smoke and toxic fumes, and the constant danger of a fire-damaged environment. Their own equipment shouldn’t be an additional concern.

In January, firemen fighting a blaze just after midnight were seriously injured when the hydraulic metal arm holding them aloft in a cage abruptly collapsed, falling 30 feet. OSHA stepped in on that matter, banning use of the equipment nationally until it could be declared safe.

Issues with firefighting equipment, from tenders to ladders, have plagued the Fire Service for years, and the state’s response has been underwhelming, even though the issue is literally one of life and death.

The National Security Minister must commit as a personal undertaking to acquiring adequate PPE for officers responding to fire calls, ensuring that every working fire station has at least one working tender and mapping the locations of active fire stations to ensure that there is adequate national response coverage.

Anything less is potentially deadly negligence.