Fire hydrants badly needed

WE continue to ignore serious warnings from Chief Fire Officer Bill Roo on fire safety and preventative measures at our peril.
It seems like we are waiting for major disasters to happen in the big municipalities such as Port Moresby to take drastic action.
Roo’s voice should be hoarse by now from all the shouting he had been making to draw the Government’s attention and everyone else’s to the problems facing the fire service.
This week, he again draws attention to the availability and accessibility of fire hydrants.
Firemen need water to fight fires.
The amount of water a fire truck carries depends on the size of its tank.
When that supply runs out, as is often the case during big fires, firemen look for other water sources, mostly fire hydrants.
Firemen should be able to quickly find the hydrants, which should have the right water pressure.
When they are no fire hydrants, or firemen cannot locate one, there is little else they can do to fight the fire.
And there need fire hydrants appropriately located in buildings and public properties to help their work.
Some fire hydrants in urban areas are buried during road and building constructions. This is what Roo is angry about.
Fire hydrants need to be visible and accessible to be of any use.
And these same buildings will need those fire hydrants to be used if they catch fire. Authorities in towns and cities are responsible for the developments in municipalities.
Trying to put out a fire in a high-rise building, or attempting to save people trapped in the top floors during an earthquake, or evacuating people during a terrorist attack, will require a herculean effort on the part of our firefighters.
Thanks to Apec last year, fire-fighting equipment have been upgraded tremendously.
Roo is happy that at least we have modern trucks fitted with the latest fire-fighting equipment, and our firemen have undergone appropriate training to deal with major emergencies.
The event also left us better equipped in terms of trucks, training and expertise.
But more needs to be done.
Funding, fire hydrants, manpower.
We should not 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.
It can and will happen. And we have to be prepared.
The lack of investment in fire safety in the past is now costing the country and its people a lot.
In other countries, the fire service is given high priority because of its important task 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 live in the properties.
One cannot be blamed for surmising that we place little value to lives and properties.
The work of firefighters is an unenviable one.
They put their lives at risk to save lives and properties.
That is what they promise to do.
And it is what the people expect of them.
The least they deserve is to be provided the necessary tools vital to their work.
Trucks, proper gear, manpower and most importantly water.
It will make their jobs – and our lives – safer.