THE CHAIRMAN of the British company Angloco Limited, worldwide suppliers of firefighting equipment, is recommending a multimedia firefighting unit to enhance Barbados’ firefighting capabilities.
Bill Brown recently met with officials from the Barbados Fire Service and the Ministry of Home Affairs to discuss the island’s firefighting needs while on a family holiday here.
He told the DAILY NATION afterwards discussions centred on upgrading the island’s Fire Service fleet, including the possible addition of a multimedia fire tender that could carry both water and the foam and dry powder needed to extinguish some fires that the normal fire tender could not.
Brown said one of the considerations was the addition of nine Fire Service vehicles, consisting of four water tenders, three small emergency response vehicles, a utility vehicle, and the multimedia unit.
Angloco Limited, a designer, manufacturer and supplier of firefighting and rescue vehicles and equipment worldwide, has been supplying firefighting vehicles to Barbados for over 20 years. It was from this company that Barbados bought the dedicated rescue and emergency vehicle required during the 2007 World Cup, and 18 months ago another vehicle was purchased for the Grantley Adams International Airport.
High-risk operations
Chief Fire Officer Wilfred Marshall agreed the multimedia fire tender was needed to cover the area from the Bridgetown Port to Spring Garden to fight any major fire that might occur along that stretch where there was a concentration of high-risk business operations with hazardous materials that could be a firefighter’s nightmare.
However, he was mindful of Government’s current financial constraints and said this could put any such purchase on hold.
Brown suggested Barbados might want to take advantage of a “considerable loan” that the British government was offering Barbados through its British Trade and Investment Department, that could possibly finance the purchase of vehicles not only for the Fire Service but also for agencies such as the Prison Service and the hospital.
He said Barbados had “the best record in the Caribbean” in terms of loans from the British government. (GC)