Firefighter injured after fall from moving tender

Senior Multimedia Reporter

radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt

Firefighter Eddison James, who sustained injuries after he fell out of a defective fire tender near the Siparia Market, has been discharged from hospital.

James, 48, who is attached to the Siparia Fire Station’s Black Watch, was part of a team responding to a trouble report when the incident occurred.

The water tender, led by Fire Sub Officer Dick, was en route when the left front door reportedly opened, causing James to fall from the moving vehicle. He suffered cuts, abrasions and contusions in the incident.

James was taken to the Siparia Health Facility, where he was treated and discharged. He is expected to undergo a specialist examination today to assess his injuries further.

Attempts to contact National Security Minister Fitzgerald Fire Service Association of T&T president Keone Guy said the incident was unfortunate. He advised fire officers not to board any defective vehicles. Noting that five officers have been injured this year due to issues with defective vehicles, Guy said it was unacceptable that despite these injuries, the State has refused to properly equip the Fire Service with proper vehicles.

A Fire Service source said investigations into the cause of the incident are ongoing. However, a defective door is being blamed. The source said the fire appliances are defective but firefighters still risk their lives to ensure there is assistance during fire emergencies. They have also been doing water distribution as residents across the district have been experiencing supply problems.

Since the start of the year, firefighters have been complaining about defective vehicles. In January, Guy highlighted a series of incidents where equipment failure led to injuries.

In one case, two officers were injured while responding to a fire on Observatory Street, Port-of-Spain, when a mechanical failure caused a metal arm supporting their basket to collapse. One officer suffered a fractured leg, while another sustained chest injuries. Preliminary findings pointed to mechanical issues, but full investigations were pending.

Guy attributed the incidents to inadequate equipment maintenance and called for urgent improvements.

In May, a female fire officer filed a legal claim against the State after sustaining injuries during a training exercise involving a wooden ladder at Fire Service Headquarters in January.

Speaking in Parliament in April, Hinds said there was no evidence suggesting the ladders procured in March 2020 breached safety regulations under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

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