Fire Service ill-equipped for fireworks season

In 2021, a house in St Joseph was destroyed by fire.

People playing with fireworks in the area launched one that landed near an LPG cylinder causing the blaze that ruined the property.

Is losing someone’s home worth a few moments of idle pleasure for irresponsible citizens eager to see a few colourful lights and hear loud bangs?

In 2022, after midnight on New Year’s Day, four homes on Quarry Street, Port of Spain were destroyed by fire, leaving 25 people homeless. Reports of the event gave the impression of a scene from Armageddon; fiery plumes, several metres high, crossing the street to burn houses on the other side. An eyewitness report stated that an illuminated paper lantern was the cause of the blaze. Subsequently, there were calls to ban sky lanterns.

Following that tragedy, which took place in his constituency, MP Stuart Young called for a ban on the sale of fireworks to members of the public, stating that the devices were also a waste of foreign exchange. At the time, MP Marvin Gonzales firmly supported his colleague’s statements.

I, and many others, also support that stance. It is beyond unacceptable that our nation continues to permit, if not encourage, the sale of "fireworks" – a socially acceptable name for what are in fact potential weapons of mass destruction disguised as "festive" and "celebratory" aspects of our cultural experience.

When used incorrectly and irresponsibly, fireworks are capable of creating instant and unexpected tragedy for others – in the form of loss of property, limb and life.

Early one Sunday morning in 2023, fireworks incinerated several businesses on the corner of Nelson and Duke streets. The destroyed enterprises included a laundromat, a hairdressing salon, and a parlour.

Is the loss of people’s property, livelihood and, potentially life, worth a few minutes of pleasure for trigger-happy individuals?

Fireworks are no longer used "only on Christmas night" or "Old Year’s night."

In many areas, the sonic onslaught occurs nightly, commencing as soon as fireworks are available for sale, and continuing well into the new year.

Video footage circulating annually at "festive times" shows people running amok on local streets, aiming their firework missiles at each other, at passing cars and at buildings – all in the name of fun.

There are no doubt several cases of fireworks mishaps that do not make the news. I have not even touched on the emotional and mental trauma that these incendiary explosive devices cause for animals and some human beings. Calls for humane considerations fall like "duds" (dead fireworks) into the laps of those with the power to amend firework legislation and ensure enforcement. (Dud is reportedly an acronym for dangerous unexploded devices).

The capacity of fireworks to set buildings ablaze cannot be ignored. Many throughout our nation are increasingly trigger-happy and many seem to care not about the effects of their irresponsible firework use on others.

Although not firework-related, I offer condolences to the loved ones and associates of Arima MP Lisa Morris-Julian, Minister in the Ministry of Education, who recently died, with two family members, in a fire that gutted their Arima home. May their souls rest in peace. No one can begin to imagine how incomprehensibly awful and torturous a fiery death must be.

Because the minister was a member of the ruling political party, her death has been a major media highlight, bringing various urgent considerations into sharper focus – one being the fact that the Fire Service is in dire need of an overhaul.

Issues affecting the Fire Service's capacity to respond swiftly and successfully to infernos include: unavailability of properly-equipped, modern appliances...under-equipped, understaffed, newly-opened stations...numerous fire stations without trucks...shortage of functional hoses...lack of water at fire scenes...the Government’s decision to slash the Fire Service's budget for buying vehicles and equipment by more than 50 per cent...and more.

Clearly, the Fire Service is not equipped to deal with multiple fiery emergencies which (God forbid) can result through widespread mismanaged firework usage.

It takes far less time to change and enforce firework legislation (in TT we have seen laws amended and enforced overnight) than it does to overhaul our fire services.

Do it now in 2024. The season is upon us.