Temporarily relocating personnel of the Fire Department and Ambulance Service to the Government Administration Building (see related story) was obviously not a decision taken lightly, but further postponement of repairs to address a serious issue of mould in the air-conditioning system at their Cay Hill facility since the hurricanes of September 2017 is simply no longer an option. Labour union WICSU/PSU had recently raised the alarm over related health concerns following a meeting at the fire station.
Government buildings foundation SOG reportedly suffered delays with settling insurance damage claims. Work was scheduled to begin in January, but after visiting the location Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs asked to start as soon as possible.
She also mentioned being told the problem really existed from 2014, but at least it is now being tackled. Important for the community is to be assured that emergency assistance won’t be negatively affected, because it frequently involves personal tragedy or even matters of life and death.
One aspect to keep in mind is the New Year’s fireworks tradition. There has so far been no word of any permit issued in St. Maarten for sales to the general public at the end of December, but that did not stop quite a few persons from somehow getting and lighting them last year, while there are always several commercial fireworks shows.
It’s also the busy season with more people visiting the island and cars on the road, making the chance of traffic or other accidents with injuries requiring an ambulance bigger. Although these factors may have all been considered, mentioning them doesn’t hurt.
Today’s information technology allows for fast and effective communication, so that distance isn’t a major obstacle. However, the necessary safeguards and backups will be required in case of systems failure.
The Fire Department and Ambulance Service fully deserve this long overdue action to resolve a nasty and unacceptable situation regarding their accommodations, but society also deserves to know they will be there when needed.
