AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye New equipment is on its way for San Pedro Fire Dept

Investigators are still trying to determine the origin of a fire that killed four persons.  As we told you in yesterday's newscast, the fire occurred in the Escalante subdivision of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Residents of the area complained that the fire department was not equipped to deal with the fire. Today, Edmond Castro, Minister of NEMO and Transport was asked about it.

Edmond Castro – Minister of NEMO and Transport:  “I must give condolences to the family for those people out in San Pedro and I will be getting my brief from the Fire Department as to what went good and what went wrong and see how we could best improve. Each time there is an emergency or fire we try to sit down and see how best we could do and do a better job next time.

Reporter: Are you looking to improve the equipment of the firefighters out there?

Edmund Castro, NEMO Minister: “It’s a constant struggle that we are trying to improve the equipment that we have, some of our trucks are very old some of them are from 1969 but with the limited resources we are doing our best to make sure that we could do a little bit better each time. We have ordered some pumps that will be assisting the fire department out in San Pedro and Caye Caulker. We were looking at a different operation in terms of trying to buy some of the water trucks, a 3,000 gallon for San Pedro would be the one that carries about 3,000 gallons. Most of the firetrucks they depend on a water source to provide the water to out fires. The reason we are looking at water trucks is to have about 3,000 gallons to start the war with as opposed to some of the fire trucks can only carry 600 gallons. So I think if we try to change the model then we will be able to get more, provide a water truck probably for each district to help with the fleet that we currently have.”

Clara Bacab and her two children, 14-year-old Alan and six-year-old Mia Nunez, along with her niece, 16-year-old Sherlie Bacab died in the fire. Bacab's common-law husband, David Nunez and son, Shamir Nunez managed to escape.  The San Pedro community has rallied to provide support to the family. A radiothon and dollar drive has been planned for Friday. Residents are urged to make a donation to the cause.  UNICEF will be providing psychosocial care to the affected families as well as students from the schools the children who perished in the fire attended. For its part, NEMO will be providing housing and the Food Bank at Hope Haven will be providing the affected families with food.

LOVEFM

Minister Heredia Will Lobby for Portable Water on La Isla Bonita

The fire has sparked outrage by residents who say that the tragic death of the family could have been averted if appropriate fire-fighting equipment was available on the prime tourism that contributes top dollars to the economy. But there are only two small fire trucks on the island which were clearly inadequate to battle the raging blaze and within minutes, both ran out of water. Following the 2016 inferno that gutted an entire block in downtown San Pedro and now the death of four persons, will government improve the National Fire Service Branch on the island? The area representative says that he will double efforts to bring portable water throughout the island.

Manuel Heredia Jr., Area Rep., Belize Rural South

"Many people have been saying in the past, including myself that it would be better to get portable pumps, mount it on a trailer that you can immediately as anything happens. Because my understanding is that Victoria House had a pump and then a power washer and that is what was more efficient than anything else. I brought it to the attention of cabinet and I am sure that very shortly, we will see at least one or two of these nice portable pumps coming to the island."

Duane Moody

"What can be done to improve…because from what we were able to gather, this has been in the making from two years ago when the fire downtown, where fourteen structures were destroyed. NEMO and other agencies, the government had promised that they would have put in hydrants across the town and that has not happened. It's been two years."

Manuel Heredia Jr.

"Well one thing that I know; that area in particular doesn't have portable water that subdivision, there is no portable water. I will lobby as strong as possible with the chairman of WASA to make sure that we put portable water over there so that we can put these hydrants over there. In all areas that we believe there is no portable water; we have to make sure that we can have few hydrants over there. Or in areas where we do not have canals or the sea close, then make sure this can happen because we learn from mistakes, but we have to make sure that we address it at quick as possible."

Channel 5

Even with a hydrant, the water would have to be ON to have it work --- and it's been turned off at night. Even when it is on, the water pressure is poor.

Further, we have a whole island that could be subject to fire, and much of it it not connected to municipal water service. We need working hydrants AND we absolutely need good tanker trucks.

I'm told that Rotary International has had the offer of donated newer-bigger-much-better fire trucks but that they could not conquer government red tape to bring them in. It would be interesting to revisit this potentiality.

This tragedy was a multiple-systems failure.

I have suggested that the town council take over the fire department for years.

San Pedro has an unusual amount of fires per capita.

The fire department needs to have a thorough audit by professionals. I would be happy to perform this at my own cost, since i am in San Pedro often.

There are SO many factors that need to be addressed.

Fire reporting.

Response time.

Equipment.

Equipment maintenance

Manpower.

Training

Water supply

Funding

Fire Prevention

Once a report is presented to the mayor and town council, they can feel free to either act upon the recommendations or stay status quo.

Donated equipment is available. Trucks. Water Tankers, protective gear, breathing apparatus, etc.

Firefighters from many different departments have offered to help conduct training.

But if the firefighters aren't trained in the use, and maintenance of the equipment and proper fire ground tactics and techniques, nothing improves.

It won't take much money, but it ill take a lot of effort and energy.

AND...the full support of politicians from all sides.

Building and occupancy permits without a rear exit on a high wooden house? In my opinion, a lot more should be accountable other than the fire dept.

Cracked up - I'm sure you mean "IN addition to the fire dept." Not "other than." I know - nit picky me. We need to do a lot of things and we have the resources but not the 'approval'. Maybe we need the old adage "It's better to ask for forgiveness than wait for permission."

Reality in San Pedro - Rarely are there inspections and I've never seen a single-family home "occupancy permit".

We're all horrified about this fire, these deaths. But thinking that only "approved" homes can be occupied flies in the face of our community's real situation - many people wanting roofs over their heads and many not being able to afford "proper" ones.

We need education, better equipment, urban planning.

"Reality in San Pedro - Rarely are there inspections and I've never seen a single-family home "occupancy permit". Exactly my point, because by law, these are requirements...Which is why others should (but won't) have some accountability for this horrible tragedy.

Just a question:


Will salt water put out a fire just as well as fresh water?

Yes.