Falmouth Fire Station unsafe - Concerns prompt relocation ultimatum from JALGO By Richard Morais,
Freelance Writer
FALMOUTH, Trelawny: THE JAMAICA Association of Local Government Officers (JALGO) has given the Fire Service 28 days from last Thursday to relocate the staff of the Falmouth Fire Station. JALGO's action was prompted by safety concerns relating to the poor condition of the fire station which serves the parish of Trelawny. Sections of the building are sinking, and huge cracks have developed in the walls of the structure. The station is sited close to the main thoroughfare in Falmouth, and the firemen there say the building shakes whenever heavy units pass by. There is concern that the structure could cave in at any time. The firemen have also given new meaning to the term 'paper pushers'. When it rains the roof leaks and they are forced continuously to shift important records to dry areas. Several sections of the station have to be abandoned once it rains. Additionally, the station itself is prone to flooding as water gathers at the front when it rains, forcing the firemen and those who visit the station to walk on planks, stones or building blocks to enter or leave the building. Commanding fire officer, Deputy Superintendent Robert Clayton, said he has tried many times to make the plight of the station known to the authorities. He advised The Gleaner that the matter is a regular item in his monthly reports; that he has written letters regularly; the station has been visited by the Building Officer on numerous occasions and he has invited the Board Chairman of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Delroy Brown, to view the conditions. According to union representatives, if relocation or a comprehensive repair programme was not started on the station by the expiry date of the ultimatum, the men would not be allowed to enter the premises.
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