Mayaro finally gets its own fire tender

The station, which was built under the Kamla Persad-Bissessar- led government, was opened one week before the 2015 general elections.

It was never outfitted with a fire tender and Mayaro continued to be serviced by the Rio Claro station until it was opened for operation last Novermber.

In Parliament on Friday, Paray questioned Dillon about the absence of a fire tender for the second time in a month.

When Paray posed the same question on April 28 in light of increased numbers of bush fires in the region, Dillon assured that a fire tender would have been sent to the station that very afternoon. “One was sent and it just so happened that it responded to an emergency that same evening,” said Paray. “But sorry to say, it broke down by the weekend.” Dillon said on Friday that the broken down tender was sent for repairs and promised that another would be sent “by this weekend.” Yesterday, when Newsday visited the station, sources confirmed that the tender seen in the bay must have been sent on Friday afternoon.

The source said he was surprised to see the truck on Saturday morning since up to Thursday there was one.

Paray confirmed the provision of the truck and expressed his gratitude to Dillon.

Paray said he believes the tender was assigned permanently to the station, but Newsday could not reach Dillon for confirmation.

Fire Services Association President Leo Ramkissoon welcomed the provision of the tender, but highlighted to Newsday the broader, more worrying problem of a service that is understaffed and under- equipped to fulfill its mandate. “I guarantee you that if a new truck came to Mayaro, it was at the expense of another station.” Ramkissoon said the fire service was operating at less than 75 percent manpower capacity and that many of the stations end up sharing fire trucks and other resources.

“We need the government to place more emphasis on increasing our manpower and our appliances and equipment.” Ramkissoon said government policy dictates that each station should have a fire tanker, a fire tender and an ambulance, but many stations operate with only one of the three.”