Dear Editor,
A few Senate sittings ago, Opposition Senator Robert Montague expressed concern about the unavailability of a complete register of places of amusement and the state of their emergency preparedness, with the parish of Westmoreland found most wanting.
As highlighted by Senator Montague, the Westmoreland Parish Council is the only local government entity that does not maintain a register of clubs and places of amusement within the parish.
The licences for such places of amusement are reportedly issued through the Inland Revenue Service, while the fire safety inspections are merely left to the Jamaica Fire Brigade.
There appears to be very little else in place to provide for the satisfaction of other security and public health standards at such establishments.
A recent report revealed further that the Westmoreland Fire Department is seriously compromised, having only two fire trucks operating, with one stationed in Savanna-la-Mar and the other in Negril.
Lives and property remain seriously at risk, given the inadequate service, with a few reported incidents of deaths and damage in the parish from fire in recent weeks. All that when the parish already suffers from the perennial problem of cane field fires.
The inadequate fire service in Westmoreland deserves serious attention. Immediate steps should be taken to at least provide the existing stations with more trucks.
As more funding becomes available, consideration could be given to building a few substations to especially act as first response to fires in the more hilly and rural areas of the parish.
These substations could be constructed/operated in conjunction with other interests, such as the sugar company, or run by community volunteer groups.
Although all Jamaica is challenged, it is a bit disconcerting that Westmoreland has been represented by so many senior government ministers, including a prime minister, and it remains seriously wanting in these and so many other areas.
It is high time our local and parliamentary representatives in the parish shape up and serve the people.
Kevin Sangster
sangstek@msn.com
Inadequate fire service in Westmoreland
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A few Senate sittings ago, Opposition Senator Robert Montague expressed concern about the unavailability of a complete register of places of amusement and the state of their emergency preparedness, with the parish of Westmoreland found most wanting.
As highlighted by Senator Montague, the Westmoreland Parish Council is the only local government entity that does not maintain a register of clubs and places of amusement within the parish.
The licences for such places of amusement are reportedly issued through the Inland Revenue Service, while the fire safety inspections are merely left to the Jamaica Fire Brigade.
There appears to be very little else in place to provide for the satisfaction of other security and public health standards at such establishments.
A recent report revealed further that the Westmoreland Fire Department is seriously compromised, having only two fire trucks operating, with one stationed in Savanna-la-Mar and the other in Negril.
Lives and property remain seriously at risk, given the inadequate service, with a few reported incidents of deaths and damage in the parish from fire in recent weeks. All that when the parish already suffers from the perennial problem of cane field fires.
The inadequate fire service in Westmoreland deserves serious attention. Immediate steps should be taken to at least provide the existing stations with more trucks.
As more funding becomes available, consideration could be given to building a few substations to especially act as first response to fires in the more hilly and rural areas of the parish.
These substations could be constructed/operated in conjunction with other interests, such as the sugar company, or run by community volunteer groups.
Although all Jamaica is challenged, it is a bit disconcerting that Westmoreland has been represented by so many senior government ministers, including a prime minister, and it remains seriously wanting in these and so many other areas.
It is high time our local and parliamentary representatives in the parish shape up and serve the people.
Kevin Sangster
sangstek@msn.com
Inadequate fire service in Westmoreland
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