Noel Thompson, Freelance Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Firefighters in St. James are reportedly saving the Government millions of dollars by effecting repairs to equipment and work facilities.

As a result of their expertise, the St. James Fire Department's only fireboat has been restored to full operation.

Senior Deputy Superintendent Dave McLaughlin, the acting head of the St. James Fire Department, said the fireboat had been disabled for over two years.

Recommendations that it should be repaired were reinforced following a fire that started on board the Star Princess cruise vessel while it was just off the island's coast earlier this year.

Funding an issue

"The vessel is to protect the harbour and shorelines, so it was compulsory that it be fixed. Funding had been a previous issue, but following the incident at sea, an estimate was tendered for $4 million to repair the boat. Some money was released and the materials purchased," Dep. Supt. McLaughlin explained.

"My team convinced me that they could repair the boat and save the Government money, so I gave them to go-ahead. On July 28, they brought the boat back in action, saving the Government over $2 million."

He added that an ongoing maintenance programme was now in place to ensure peak performance.

The Government savings created by the fire department's actions were disclosed during the annual long-service awards ceremony, held at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort in Montego Bay, last Thursday.

Acting District Officer Gary Snow, who led the repair team, said: "It has been a long, hard year for us to put that boat back together. We did a lot of research on the Internet. Our team of electricians, mechanics, carpenters, painters and body repairmen made it happen."

The boat has an eight-man crew, with a pumping capacity of 15,000 gallons of water per minute and can fight a fire in up to a foot of water.

The maintenance team, with assistance from firefighters in Hanover and St. Elizabeth, has repaired the facility, which now houses the fire department in the Montego Freeport area.

"We now have permission from the Contracts Services Commission for our staff to repair our facilities and equipment," said Dep. Supt. McLaughlin, adding that firefighters are to be compensated through the Government's Honorarium Scheme, which is a stipend paid yearly.