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HOMELAND Security Minister Roger Alexander is assuring residents and business owners of Princes Town and its environs that their abandoned fire station will be fixed and reopened.
Alexander's assurance came after he and Princes Town MP Dr Aiyna Ali toured the facility on May 26, accompanied by Assistant Chief Fire Officer (South) Mukharji Rampersad and officials from the Princes Town Regional Corporation.
"The prime minister spoke to both the MP for Princes Town and myself and told us that no matter what we found here today, we must fix it. So we came with the intention today to fix it and rest assured it will be fixed," Alexander said.
The fire station was deemed unsafe due to a rat infestation and its general dilapidated condition and was closed in July last year.
Firemen based at this station were sent to the Rio Claro and Penal fire stations with fire tenders and other vehicles being kept at the Penal fire station.
[caption id="attachment_1157225" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Assistant Chief Fire Officer (South) Mukharji Rampersad, Princes Town MP Dr Aiyna Ali, left, and Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander, in the control room of the abandoned Princes Town Fire Station during a tour on Monday May 26. - Photo by Rishard Khan[/caption]
Calls for its renovation and reopening were renewed following a fire on May 18 which partially destroyed a dwelling house at Buen Intento. At the time – according to a Newsday story – fire tenders and firemen from the Mon Repos fire station responded to the call for help but it took about 45 minutes for the firemen to arrive.
The victims told Newsday had the Princes Town fire station been operational, it would have taken firemen about five minutes to get to the house.
Back in July, the then Chief Fire Officer (CFO) told Newsday that station was among three in southern Trinidad identified for reconstruction. The others were in Siparia and Rio Claro.
Last week, CFO Andy Hutchinson told Newsday that a solution was being worked out. He said the plan was to find a temporary location for firemen to work out of while the station is rebuilt. Alexander did not a give definitive answer on whether this plan was still being pursued.
"The word 'fix' means it don't have to be this you know. But to get the officers back up and running and servicing the area of Princes Town is what we require, so it could mean either here or there. But at the end of the day, the constituency of Princes Town will benefit from having fire service personnel."
[caption id="attachment_1157226" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander looks at a hole in the ceiling of the abandoned Princes Town Fire Station. - Photo by Rishard Khan[/caption]
Alexander said he would immediately speak with technocrats to underscore the urgency of finding a solution. He could not give an estimate on when a solution could be found. However, he said it would be determined in conjunction with fire service personnel.
"One of the things we often do, we make decisions on our own standing here. But we have to take into consideration the people who service the area from here. Those are the people who should tell us 'yay' or 'nay' with respect to how they feel or how comfortable they are at a particular location. It musn't be left to myself or the MP (saying) 'Allyuh go there!' We are not about that type of service."
Dr Ali said their presence at the fire station was a sign that she as the area's MP and Alexander, as line minister for the Fire Service, are listening to the residents' concerns and she would work with him to ensure a solution is found soon. Ali promised to residents informed about any progress.
Commenting on two recent fires, she said: "A fire is traumatic to anyone, so I can't imagine what they (the victims) would have been going through and knowing that something could have been done in a faster time and it was not. That was heartbreaking.
"By doing this, by viewing the fire station and getting things done, hopefully, we could try to save more lives, more families and prevent more fires from spreading."
 
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