WESTERN BUREAU — Even as infrastructure problems continue to plague the St James fire department, efforts are being made to counter the manpower shortage there, with the recent addition of 31 recruits.

The authorised strength of the department is 190 but up to a month ago they had only 114 fire fighters.

Now, that number has grown to 145 and the acting senior superintendent of the department, Allan Goodwill, is happy.

“I am pleased with the set of recruits to the staff structure,” he said. “We had to be doing some overtime before they came, which was burdensome to the men.”

At the same time, the superintendent said there were repairs underway on the fire units that have been out of commission over the last 12 to 18 months.

“I am also pleased that some repair work is being carried out on the fire units. In Montego Bay, where we have all these high rise buildings, from time to time it is of concern to us knowing that our main unit — that is the snorkel — and the turn table ladder were out of action.”

Among the other equipment currently under repair are:

* the (normal water) pumper;

* the specialised emergency tender; and

* the foam tender, that is used on oil fires.

The station is currently reliant on three pumpers, a tanker and a fire service car.

But the continued infrastructural degradation of the station is a growing cause for concern to the firefighters stationed there.

Not only does the roof leak but there are also large cracks on the inner and outer walls of the building and the superintendent said the structure itself has weakened.

“This building is in a very poor state. There is hardly any repair work we can do to this building. We start having cracks in the walls,” Goodwill told the Observer.

“The authorities from the time to time do take a look at it and make estimates and look at the possibility of getting a new structure but we are not reaching anywhere with it.”

In the years since the building started to deteriorate, little repair has been done, and, according to the superintendent, it would be an exercise in futility because the building is “so old”.

Up to just over a year ago, the possibility of relocation was on the table but that has yet to get beyond the discussion level. Goodwill also said that one of the properties that was being considered for relocation has since been sold.

Now, he said, should a major disaster occur, even as they would be required to help others, the firefighters themselves would more than likely be affected.

“The staff is very concerned. We are the people who have to be assisting if there is a disaster. But we would be affected so we would not be able to carry out our function because of the condition of this building. It is very heart rending,” he said.