Get priorities straight
published: Thursday | August 25, 2005

THE EDITOR, Sir:

THE GOVERNMENT of Jamaica needs to give serious attention to the state of the Jamaica Fire Brigade. There needs to be a management audit which would take into account the desired response time to fires anywhere in the country. Once that is determined, then they should look at the population and see the areas which are in urgent need of a fire station. They should then develop a 10-year plan to include the cost for new firehoses, equipment and manpower.

Some years ago there was some movement to streamline and improve the service, but this was abandoned, as it seems that it is not an issue that generates votes. But vote or no vote, the hard-working taxpayers of this country deserve to have a reliable, effective, efficient fire department, a well-trained, motivated and equipped police force, affordable primary and secondary education, and a health-care system which is well staffed, managed and funded to provide for the sick. It is good to have numerous media houses and mobile phones, but people pay taxes so as to have roads, water, light, security, education, good health care, good fire service, etc.

I am, etc.,

HENRY HILL

Henryah02@yahoo.com

2020 Strauss St.

Brooklyn, New York