Sweet TT a jokey, stupefying place to live

Big fire on Frederick Street last Wednesday, firemen hurrying to organise hoses and tackle the blaze.

But what do we see? Hoses that could double as sprinkler systems.

You would think they could do better that those hoses filled with leaks? The Fire Services couldn’t even try and save face a little and put some masking tape? I won’t go into the hydrants and water woes and the blame game that is going on.

In bygone days they used hoses made of canvas type material. Don’t think those didn’t have holes. They did. According to my uncle Alva, the canvas used to dry rot. So what has changed since then? We are not using canvas anymore.

Would you believe that Port-of-Spain has had its fair share of fires? I enquired and let me list a few (I don’t know the dates for all but the older generations probably know): Red House (1902), St Joseph Convent (1945), Town Hall (1948), Salvatori building (1958), Miranda (previously located on Henry and Independence Square), Trestrail, United Grocers (previously on Frederick Street), Hodgkinson’s, and there were the buildings destroyed in the 1990 coup and the Excellent Stores Fire 1996.

You would think the Fire Services had enough practice around the city to out a fire fast, ent?

In the aftermath of the People’s Mall fire last April, Minister of National Security Martin Joseph at a post Cabinet media briefing said he believed if there was "another fire today the Fire Services Division would be in a better position to respond."

He also announced that $168 million was approved for the Fire Services in the 2005 Budget. You would think some of that would have gone toward buying some new hoses?

The hose episode reminded me of the Ambulance at the Chaguanas Health Facility which does not have functioning siren and lights and the electrical engineers at St Ann’s Hospital doing rewiring without any wiring schematic.

Of course the things which reduced the absurdity are those that are preceded by big boasts and plenty PR.

Let me dwell briefly on the cliche topic of crime. We know that crime is a problem, we know that the problem cannot simply be tackled with more officers, equipment, jails, jail time. We know that some youths will still choose a gun and the twisted route to fast money before any of the Government sponsored programmes.

But when Government officials start taking on the role of clairvoyants, making predictions about the crime situation then one has to wonder if the joke is on them or us?

Take Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s assurance on May 22, last year, that "you will soon see a decline in crime." Party faithful may have looked forward eagerly to see the change but two days later Minister of National Security, Martin Joseph was presenting figures in the Senate showing an increase in serious offences including murder and kidnapping. By year end TT had a record 386 murders.

At the end of 2004, the $1.3 million sky watch was introduced at the Brian Lara Promenade and everyone naturally believed that officers posted there would be able to do good surveillance. Then it was revealed that there were no officers stationed at the sky watch because of a shortage of manpower. And even after officers were assigned, apart from the naked eye, the officers just had a good vantage point because the tower only had a chair and microphone. There are now three skywatches — the one at the Promenade is now at the Queen’s Park Savannah, another is at Chaguanas and the third at West Mall. I wonder why the two in the west were not posted at areas regarded as crime hot spots where they could really be tested?

Then the Government bought the skyships, which everyone calls "the blimp." The first, bought at a cost of $26 million was in operation last July. Expectations rose like the blimp but were soon grounded in reality. Despite denials by senior officers that anything was wrong, by December all heard that the blimp was out of service and in need of repairs.

As if we did not learn our lesson, a second blimp, this time a 12-year-old — "skyship 600 Airship" was brought to TT. Like this country really have a love affair with foreign used things yes. Only this time Government decided to rent it for three months at a cost of US$100,000. Although they are for surveillance, the noisy blimps tell everyone when they are in the area. What were the successes of the first skyship?

At a media briefing on December 28 Brigadier Peter Joseph, head of the Special Anti-Crime Unit was asked but could not provide any examples to make a case for the money spent.

My uncle from Washington was most amused to hear that TT bought blimps to do surveillance. He said they were mainly used for advertisements in the US. I wonder who else sees the joke?