The six new fire tenders for the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service will strengthen emergency response in communities long left vulnerable and under-served.
Residents from various communities were invited to speak at the handover ceremony in Penal on Wednesday.
For many, fire risk is a lived reality, from bush fires spreading through large stretches of vegetation to the added danger of proximity to petroleum infrastructure.
Penal business owner Keisha Ramnath said the human toll of slow emergency response has been felt in families who have lost homes, belongings, and peace of mind.
“When members of the community lose their homes by fires, their belongings and even loved ones, their mental health and well-being are severely affected. Their lives will never be the same and they may not see how they can start over. However, our Honourable Prime Minister has ensured the capability to respond to these accidents.”
Point Fortin resident Astara Khan described the upgrades as long-awaited.
“It will assist us in the response to all fire emergencies, all the way from the small community of Icacos straight up to Point Fortin. Today I stand, and I want to publicly thank my MP, the MP for Point Fortin, Mr. Ernesto Kesar, for his constant representation, his hard work, his long hours at the office. We, the people of Point Fortin, MP, we thank you.”
Former West Indies cricketer and Mayaro resident Imran Jan echoed similar sentiments as he recalled times when emergency response teams had to travel from Rio Claro to deal with fires in the Mayaro district – an approximately 28-kilometre stretch.
“Thank you, Honourable Prime Minister. Thank you, Minister Alexander. Thank you to the government of Trinidad and Tobago for making this possible because, I mean, I’ve heard the other speakers, as I said, but I need to just reaffirm. Our community has been at risk for many, many years. For those of you all aware, which most of you will be, we have a lot of operations in Mayaro with regards to the oil and gas sector. So it’s only fitting, firstly, that we had a fire station and, secondly, that we have a capable, performing new fire tender to attend to any emergencies that may arise.”
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar officially handed over six new fire tenders to the Penal Fire Station.