SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland – As Jamaica enters the Spring Break travel season, and with only five days remaining before the start of Cricket World Cup 2007, an official of the Westmoreland Division of the Jamaica Fire Brigade has again expressed grave concern over the absence of a working ambulance in Savanna-la-Mar, the Westmoreland capital.

“When Spring Break starts, call volume increases to the emergency medical sections and this is due to more trauma calls received from spring breakers who usually, in the peak of their enjoyment, drink and participate in inappropriate and sometimes dangerous activities,” said William Dixon, assistant superintendent in charge of the emergency medical service in the western region.

The Savanna-la-Mar Fire Station has been without a working front-line ambulance since October 2005 when the unit was involved in a motor vehicle accident along the Bay Road main road in the parish. Since then, the Negril ambulance has been the only one that has constantly been in operation.

A used ambulance donated by the Japanese Government was commissioned as a front-line vehicle last year, however, it gave way months later in September.

Dixon also said that the past six months without an ambulance have put a strain on the ability of the Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) to offer the quality of service required by the people of Westmoreland.

“The absence of a working ambulance has put pressure on the EMTs at the station because they have to be responding to dire emergencies in fire trucks and sometimes in private motor vehicles, which are not conducive to proper medical practice,” he said. “In addition, this has caused a drop in morale, as EMTs have to be temporarily asked to perform duties on the trucks in an attempt to keep them active.”

Community outreach programmes, including lectures at schools, emergency fire, earthquake and disaster management drills, which are all part of the responsibility of the fire brigade, have all been hampered by the absence of an ambulance.

“While we would like to respond to all the invitations we receive, this is impossible, as personal vehicles are used to transport EMTs to various locations to conduct the drills, and these vehicles are not always readily available,” Dixon said.