Fire dept needs tools to fight fire

THERE is still no reassurance for our concerns on how adequately equipped and prepared the PNG Fire Service is in dealing with a major disaster.
This week, we reported that there is a Fire Brigade mobile team stationed at each venue of the senior officials’ meeting. The team will carry out routine inspections on each venue prior to the meetings.
An interesting comment is that the unit should be using light vehicles so there is a fire truck stationed at each venue.
Plans and talks of hosting Apec meetings did not happen overnight and the PNG Fire Service should be well-prepared and well-equipped.
It seems we are waiting for a major disaster to happen, especially in our bigger cities, before something is done to improve the PNG Fire Service.
Last month, Parliament was told the Government had endorsed a five-year plan for the PNG Fire Services which includes the acquisition of 22 new fire trucks.
The trucks should boost the fire service’s capacity for Apec, Inter-Government Relations minister Kevin Isifu told Parliament.
We are hosting Apec in November and we are responsible for the safety of our guests who will be using some of these buildings and facilities in the cities and towns.
The fire service should have been given the equipment and resources, tested them to make sure that they are working, and firefighters should have been given the appropriate training to use the new equipment.
For now, it seems that the authorities in charge of allocating public funds to essential services think there is very little chance of a major fire happening in one of high-rise buildings in the middle of our towns and cities.
How else can one explain the lack of attention given to this very important public and essential service?
Right now, trying to put out a fire in a high-rise building, attempting to save people trapped in the top floors during an earthquake or evacuating people during a terrorist attack will require a huge effort on the part of our firefighters.
Acting Chief Fire Officer Bill Roo sometimes back said they needed equipment such as ladder trucks to deal with such situations.
Has anything being done about fire hydrants that are supposed to be properly located in buildings and public properties to help put out a fire?
The fire service, has been neglected for at least 40 years and the lack of investment in fire safety is costing the country and its people much.
In other countries, the fire service is given high priority because of the important duty it does to save lives and properties.
They are provided the most modern facilities which are progressively upgraded to suit the needs of property owners and those who occupy the properties.
Sadly, that is not the case in PNG.
Our firefighters make do with whatever they can, with the resources they have, to save lives.
Yet they watch every day, in Port Moresby for example, tall buildings going up everywhere and forever changing the landscape.
It was estimated that it would cost around K14 million to upgrade fire-fighting equipment and fix the manpower problems.
If there is no money, let’s ask our good friends, such as Australia, to donate those equipment.
No doubt they will only be too willing to lend us a few – especially the ones with ladders which firefighters need for the high-rise buildings.
It always makes sense to take preventative measures before disaster strikes.