MoBay still without a fireboat

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) is reporting that repairs to the fireboat assigned to St James, which has been out of commission for several months, are still incomplete.

Anton Morris, the JFB's assistant superintendent in charge of St James, gave a brief update on the boat's status while addressing today's monthly meeting of the St James Municipal Corporation.

“The fireboat is still currently off action. In terms of when it will be on action, I am not sure, and I will have to get back to the council on that,” Morris told the meeting.

He was responding to concerns from councillors that a disaster could occur if a fire incident takes place at sea in the vicinity of Montego Bay without the fireboat being available.

It is understood that the fireboat has been dry-docked since September.

Concerns about the fireboat's availability have been raised over many years, dating as far back as 2008, when calls were issued for a vessel to be assigned for the JFB to fight fires along Jamaica's north coast.

At that time, the vessel assigned to the region was damaged after heavy winds blew it into rocks along the Montego Bay coastline.

A new fireboat was eventually handed over to the St James Fire Department in December 2018, only to be docked for repairs four months later after sustaining damage to its engine.

- Christopher Thomas

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