00:00The communities of Pinal, Princess Town, Point Fortin, Mayaro, Chaguanas and Scarborough, Tobago on Wednesday each received a new fire
00:09tender as the government hopes to strengthen the service and improve response time in cases of emergencies.
00:16At the handing over ceremony held at the Pinal Fire Station, Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander said it was
00:25the beginning of a rebirth for the fire service, which will continue until every community has a tender and modern
00:33equipment added to its arsenal.
00:35I'm trying Tobago must not be left without technology.
00:42Yes, the drones.
00:45The drone that can help in search and rescue and the drone that can lift a hose to help out
00:55a fire when it's too high for the ladder that was eaten.
01:02Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry.
01:06For the ladders or the fire tenders.
01:10Of the six handed over, one is an emergency rescue vehicle with greater capacity than any the fire service has
01:19ever had.
01:20Fire sub officer Hassan Mark tells TV6 News 10 officers underwent a week long training in Spain to learn their
01:29way around the $10.3 million vehicle, which is outfitted with chemical suits, search cameras, distance and thermal imaging cameras,
01:40life detectors for collapsed structures and many other vital equipment.
01:45So this is a heavy rescue vehicle is designed for natural disasters, collapse structures, hazmat incidents and major accidents.
01:55What makes the difference in terms of what makes the amount of tools that are placed on it for rescue
02:04and the capacity of the crane to lift up to 30 tons.
02:07Acting chief fire officer Andy Hutchinson says there are some incidents that currently overwhelm their existing capacity.
02:16And this heavy rescue vehicle, which is to be placed in Chaguanas will improve their response effectiveness to the heavily
02:25industrialized communities in North and South Trinidad, something he says his officers are very excited about.
02:33He says all six trucks mark a milestone for national safety as they replace what he called an aged, wary
02:42and unreliable fleet.
02:43We acknowledge that this represents a preliminary measure aimed at addressing a considerable shortfall in essential resources.
02:54This deficit, the result of a decade characterized by neglect and mismanagement, has significantly left this esteem and dynamic organization
03:09under-resourced in all critical areas.
03:13We, the Trinidad and Tobago Facilities, express our full-found gratitude for this opportunity and sincerely hope that our period
03:23of exile has come to an end.
03:27Cindy Raghu Batika Singh, TV6 News.
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