GOVERNMENT said Thursday that it was holding fire truck manufacturers Rosenbauer America responsible for the damage done three weeks ago to the fire unit assigned to the Santa Cruz Fire Station.

Repeated efforts yesterday to reach Angie Templer, owner of National Safety Ltd, the local representatives of Rosenbauer America, failed.

The chassis, body and water tank of the unit (number 5-87) – one of 25 procured from Rosenbauer America by the local government ministry in August last year – separated while the truck was on its way from a rescue mission in Balaclava, St Elizabeth, causing minor injuries to the six firefighters who were aboard.

In a report on the incident carried out by the fire brigade’s Transport & Fleet Management Section late last month, assistant superintendent of the department, Warren Malcolm, suggested that had the truck body been properly fastened to the chassis, it would not have fallen apart as it did.

“An inspection of the #26 Rosenbauer fire truck that was made by Rosenbauer Austria, and has been commissioned since 1994, showed a difference in the construction,” the report read, comparing the older Austrian-made trucks to the American-manufactured ones acquired last year.

“There are eight clamps used to secure the sub-frame to the chassis. This showed that twice as many clamps were used to secure the body to the chassis, when compared to that of the newly acquired fire units,” it continued.

While acknowledging that other factors such as a slick road surface due to rain, and a minor collision with a rock prior to the truck falling apart, played a part in the damage to the vehicle, Malcolm reiterated his stance that manufacturing faults were at the root of the accident.

He said based on his investigation of the sub-frame of the damaged truck, the cross members which had broken away “had started to break prior to the accident”.

“While the Transport and Fleet Management Section is of the opinion that the first impact contributed to the chain of events, we are also concerned that the numerous reports of loose clamps on other units could possibly be a factor in this accident,” Malcolm wrote.

The report listed several complaints, from as early as August 22, 2006, of operating problems with the new trucks. All six reports, excluding the accident involving the Santa Cruz unit, cited loose and missing bolts and clamps.

The Ministry of Housing, Transport, Water and Works agreed with Malcolm in its own report on the incident. The ministry’s five-member investigating team, which comprised representatives from the Island Traffic Authority, the National Works Agency and the water ministry wrote: “We are satisfied that if properly constructed, the truck would not be affected in this way”. In accordance with its findings, the team recommended that the remaining pumpers sourced from Rosenbauer America be withdrawn until the company “can guarantee that they are safe to operate”.

But Harry Douglas, state minister in the local government ministry, said the reports were only just submitted to his office three days ago. He said Local Government Minister Peart, Commissioner of the fire Brigade, Frederick Whyte, technical personnel and himself will be holding talks in the coming weeks to decide on the best course of action.