A Disgrace

And what was the reason for such extensive damage?

Primarily, the fact that most fire hydrants in the capital city do not work. This is mind-boggling — or it would be were we not accustomed to the Government’s inefficiency. Because the fact is, the authorities have known about this problem for several years. Not surprisingly, though, they didn’t discover this through equipment checks which should be standard practice. Instead, they came to the realisation in 2001 while attempting to extinguish the malicious fire that destroyed Excellent Stores.

Why was such a relatively simple but crucial matter left unattended? Apparently, there is some disagreement between the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) and the Fire Services over who has responsibility of the hydrants. But, if so, this is hardly an excuse since this matter is easily resolvable. But, whoever is responsible, the fact that no action was taken on a known problem bespeaks a mindset that is best described as Third World.

There are many challenges on the road to a developed country status. But a basic challenge must be to solve problems of technical infrastructure. We have the financial resources. What is clearly lacking is the right attitude: A sense of responsibility, initiative, and efficiency.

If the people in charge had such an approach, the hydrants would surely have been fixed, the fire officers would not have been using hoses with holes, and WASA would have been able to supply enough water trucks. In that scenario, the damage would have run into thousands, instead of millions of dollars, and fewer people would have lost their jobs.

A release from the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) hit the nail on the head. "We are the seat of the Caribbean Court of Justice, the Association of the American States, and the hopeful headquarters of other major secretariats and we insist that Port-of-Spain be guaranteed of (sic) more preparedness," DOMA pointed out.

This fire has also placed Prime Minister Patrick Manning in some political hot water. Even before the blaze was brought under control, Mr Manning had committed the Government to providing alternative accommodation for the affected businesses.

The People’s Mall, like the Breakfast Shed, has attained the status of a cultural institution — specifically, an Afro-Trinidadian institution whose members are seen as core supporters of the PNM. So Mr Manning has to assist, but this assistance will inevitably strengthen the perception that his administration plays favourites when deciding what group of citizens should or should not get help from the State.

This, too, is a symptom of our Third World status. And it reminds us that developed countries have not merely dealt with the technical challenges, but the political basics as well, and that the two are often connected.