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CCNTV6
  • 1 year ago

There are more questions than answers concerning the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Minister Lisa Morris-Julian and her two children.
The timeliness of the response from the Fire Service is one of the contentious issues, and TV6 News has been informed that the Arima Fire Station, only has one fire tender. We visited Arima on Tuesday. Here's Alicia Boucher with more in this report.

Transcript
00:00We are here at Fafan Street in Arima at the tragic scene, the home of MP Lisa Morris-Julian,
00:07where a fire broke out yesterday claiming her life as well as that of her two children.
00:12Now we're told police officials arrived on the scene this morning at 4 o'clock and fire
00:17officials got here around 9 a.m.
00:20We also saw TNTEC police, now they came in just after 12 in the afternoon as investigations
00:26into what caused this blaze continue.
00:29Witnesses are left consoling each other with a burnt-out shell of what was once a family
00:33home, a reminder of a nightmarish reality.
00:36An autopsy has listed the cause of death of the trio as smoke inhalation and burns.
00:42Witnesses of the incident remain haunted by the screams of lives begging to be saved but
00:47could not.
00:48But why?
00:49Well, it's a question being asked by many.
00:52There are two fire hydrants on Fafan Street, one at the top and the other at the bottom,
00:58both in close proximity to the Morris-Julian home.
01:01Neither of these was in use on Monday, except for garbage collection.
01:06Whether they could have been used is disputable, based on the account of Shivon Matura, a resident
01:12of Fafan Street for the past 49 years.
01:28While we received other reports of that nature, they conflict with those from some residents
01:43who say there are no water issues.
01:45They did not want their faces or voices recorded.
01:49But there is another issue surrounding the fire service response.
01:53As the first fire appliance came from Tunapuna 11 minutes after receiving the information
01:58that assistance was needed.
02:00If you pass in front of the Arima fire station, you'll see fire tender 554, provided that
02:06it is not out responding to a situation.
02:09For those who are familiar with the area and the station, like manager in the office of
02:14the member of parliament for Dabbedy, Omera, Michael Simpson, the site is quite familiar.
02:19As far as you are aware, how many fire tenders are there at the Arima fire station?
02:25There's one.
02:26There's one.
02:27There's one.
02:28How long has that situation been that way?
02:31I don't know.
02:33Whoever does the math will work out what is the frequency and how many tenders do they
02:40need to be there.
02:41And there's usually one.
02:42The fire service association says it is a 2,000 gallon tender, which has been in service
02:48since 2007.
02:51On the fateful Monday morning at the Morris Julian home, less than about two blocks away
02:55from the station, the tender was responding to another fire.
02:59Apart from within the community, the shock and grief are resonating through the Dabbedy,
03:03Omera constituency.
03:06Simpson worked with Morris Julian since she was a counselor in the area and had seen her
03:10progress all the way up to MP and junior minister in the education ministry.
03:15She tells us she kept her colleagues and other state agencies on their toes as he refers
03:20to her as the embodiment of a real representative of the people.
03:24So she always had problems with WASA, with TNT, with ministry of works and need this
03:32fix and need that fix and picking up the phone and calling the various ministers to get relief.
03:39Morris Julian was unopposed as the People's National Movement candidate for that area
03:43in the upcoming 2025 general election.
03:47Simpson reveals that apart from her political life, she loved Carnival, and he shares a
03:51fond memory.
03:53Every single band in Areva wanted to have her in their band.
03:58She would get jerseys from everybody, and as they passed the stage, she would run around
04:02the stage, change her jersey, and jump in the next band.
04:08Everybody could have photos and say, Lisa Morris was in my band.
04:12The six-year-old son, Josiah Julian, as young as he was, has also left his mark on his teachers
04:18and schoolmates at Full of Grace Primary School, where he was in second year.
04:23The school's principal, Suzanne Hart, says he had a captivating smile and vibrant personality.
04:30He would just come up to you, hi, Mrs. Hart.
04:32He would come and he would hug you.
04:34He would hug all his friends, all his teachers.
04:36Hart tells us the boy was focused on making his mom proud, and he would sometimes introduce
04:41her to those he interacted with as the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.
04:46So he used to tell all his friends, my mommy is the PNM boss, my mommy is the PNM boss.
04:51I mean, Josiah was that type of child, loving, caring, nurturing.
04:55In the end, Morris Julian, in trying to save him and her 22-year-old daughter Zion's life,
05:02ventured back into the inferno and transcended this world with them.
05:07Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
05:11For more information, visit www.fema.gov
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