By Trudy Simpson, Staff Reporter
The six-storey building along Long Lane, Stony Hill, St. Andrew, which is causing concern to councillors at the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC). - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
THE MANAGERS of a six-storey building along Long Lane, St. Andrew yesterday disagreed with the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation's (KSAC) concerns that a strong earthquake could severely damage or even crumble the building.
They, however, promised to take down the top two floors of the building, deemed unsafe by a preliminary report from a structural engineering firm hired to test the building.
"We live in a country governed by a Government and although they see what we don't see, we still have to comply with them," said house caretaker Winston Anderson and 92-year-old owner, Kenneth Wong, who gave anecdotes of storms and earthquakes, which the building has survived.
The building withstood another minor earthquake yesterday. The quake, which had a 4.0 magnitude, was felt around 12:48 p.m. in St. Catherine and St. Andrew.
"People see outside and dem figure more or less say inside is a hazard. A lot of people are saying that. The building is 100 per cent strong. I can put my head on the block for that," asserted Mr. Anderson, who gave The Gleaner a tour, pointing out beams, reinforced by steel on each of the six floors, four of which house 23 families.
The KSAC councillors are also concerned that the building may be a fire hazard. Media reports said they were concerned tenants in the back and middle section of the building would find it difficult to get out because of the one common door that had to be used to get down the very narrow staircase.
NARROW, TWISTING PASSAGEWAYS
The Gleaner's tour revealed narrow, twisting passageways, often separated by grilled doorways, all padlocked for "security reasons", Mr. Anderson said. These passageways separated sections of apartments from each other. There were also steep, narrow staircases, only one of which had a railing and corridors branching into two narrow exits, located beside each other on the right side of the house. There are plans to put in one more exit on the left side, Mr. Anderson said.
The house is also missing key items such as fire extinguishers, smoke alarm detectors, alternative means of escape, fire hose reels, single manual/electrical fire alarms, clearly marked alternative exit signs and alternative emergency lighting system. A report from the Jamaica Fire Brigade recommended these in a letter to Mr. Wong dated June 2003.
Mr. Anderson said several items have been ordered overseas and would be installed after the final report comes in from the structural engineering firm, Peter Jervis and Associates. When asked what would happen in a fire or earthquake, Mr. Ander-son said, "God nah go mek it happen 'cause God know whe wi ah go through. God nah gi wi more than what we can bear," he said before adding he had a few hoses in a store room and help from residents.
Residents who spoke to The Gleaner, some by telephone, said they had been unaware of any danger or dismissed it as rumours. Only one person said the news frightened her although one young man joked about being safer on the right side of the house than on the left.
One woman said she liked the atmosphere of the building and the building's inside, that everyone had a key to the grills so the locks did not bother her and said she would only move when she had her own house.
