Out this fire

Such was reported in yesterday’s Newsday story, “Firemen blazing mad”. While once upon a time the area was originally sparsely populated cocoa estates, companies such as Shell, Trintoc and Petrotrin successively developed local oil and gas fields. Yet such development was only possible if the companies could attract workers (local and small-island) by deliberate efforts to make the area attractive to their families. The result is that today few if any other towns have greater civil pride than “Point”, that endures even years after one has migrated outward.

Indeed, “Civic” is the name of a top local football team. No longer “behind God’s back”, Point is the home of “Borough Day”, a mini-Carnival of thousands including TT nationals from overseas visiting annually.

The area has a history of sporting and cultural personalities and groups, the latter including the Jeunes Agape Choir. Austin “SuperBlue” Lyons, Fay-Ann Lyons, Cro Cro, Mighty Duke (deceased), Iwer George, Morrell “Luta” Peters, and Roger George are bards who are firm testament to the area’s rich cultural heritage.

The area houses three secondary schools and is the site of the Solomon Hochoy Highway extension and the long-awaited Point Fortin Hospital. Economically, the area is the home of Atlantic LNG (liquefied natural gas), TT’s mainstay gas export sub-sector. If there is one area in the country that epitomises both industrial production and cultural heritage, it is Point Fortin.

So for this reason it is very strange that matters have been left to deteriorate to the extent that Point’s firemen have to demonstrate their gross dissatisfaction.

As members of an essential service they are banned from outright striking but have vowed to find lawful ways to express their disdain for the current state of their headquarters.

We cannot fault them for this. If the edifice is deemed to be structurally unsound and under threat of collapse at any time, then for reasons of personal safety it is the firemen’s right to stay outside, and they would even argue that it is their duty to do so, to stay well and healthy to perform their duties.

“This building was deemed unsafe for human occupation. The structural integrity has been compromised,” said one irate fireman.

“The building is infested with rats and termites, there are no air-condition units in the dorms and there are holes on the flooring. We have been lobbying since 2015 for a new station.” National Budget documents indicate that for the first time in the past three years, an allocation has been made to build a new fire station to the tune of $11 million.

This sum is clearly less than sums allocated for other fire stations, respectively in Mayaro ($57 million), Arouca, Penal and San Fernando (each $20 million) and Woodbrook ($18 million), and on par with the $10 million allocated for the Chaguaramas facility.

This fiscal year about $163 million has been allocated to build all six stations, out of a planned total cost of $900 million. The Newsday story said a contractor has design plans for a new station at the same site, comprised of a concrete foundation, supplemented by prefabricated concrete structures.

“Work could start within the next two weeks once Government gives approval and disburses funds,” said one fireman. “We are in desperate need of a new station.” So, we’d hope Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon, as line minister for the Fire Service and as Point Fortin MP, could help expedite this construction and so “out this fire” now.