BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth — The leadership of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) team in St Elizabeth had developed a comprehensive response plan as Hurricane Melissa advanced menacingly towards Jamaica last October, but those plans were blown away as the Category 5 storm made landfall with winds of 185 miles (about 298 kilometres) per hour.

“Days before the storm we were preparing, but we weren’t prepared for what actually took place. We had everything in place: fuel, food, water pumps, and tanks. However, based on the strength of the hurricane, even those water tanks went. The pumps, the tanks, the fire unit and all the vehicles that were on the compound were unable to leave without a wrecker,” Superintendent Kimar Brooks, head of the fire brigade in St Elizabeth, told the Jamaica Observer last Friday.

He said on the Tuesday, October 28, 2025 when Melissa hit Jamaica there were 30 staff members on duty stranded without communication in Black River.

“There was no access to get here. I could only reach the members at the Junction Fire Station, but on my way to Santa Cruz I realised that the road was impassable in Goshen. I tried another route through Myersville, it was the same thing, so I had to retreat,” said Brooks.

“At the time there was no communication. The telephone lines were down. The Starlink that was here, it was blown away. Where I was at the time I could receive calls in Junction, but I could not provide an update to Black River. It was the day after the hurricane I saw a member of staff on Crane Road who walked through the water and I picked him up and he gave me an update as to the situation in Black River, it was frightening,” he added.

Brooks noted that storm surges battered the fire station, which also served as the parish emergency operation centre.

“Those who were here on duty, their homes and vehicles were destroyed. They couldn’t leave the premises. When I came here the entire place was inches high of mud. The fire truck was motionless. The armoured vehicle from the [Jamaica Defence Force] was also motionless,” he said.

However, amid the challenges the firefighters responded to emergencies and carried out search and rescue operations without a working unit.

“We responded on foot even at the [Brown’s] Funeral Home; they were using a generator and there was a fire. We went on foot to clear roads [and] it was Friday before we got a unit from Kingston and removed the one that was here,” he said while pointing out that the damaged unit is still at the JFB’s garage in Kingston.

“During the storm there was no movement, so we weren’t able to respond. However, after the storm we carried out search and rescue operations. I didn’t get to see the [operations]. I came in to join the clean-up. We brought in people from Kingston, Clarendon and St Catherine,” Brooks added.

Corporate Jamaica, and the leadership of the JFB, came to the rescue of many firefighters whose homes were damaged during the storm.

“For the most part, members have been able to restore their homes. The brigade saw it fit to assist in the restoration of [members’] homes. We still have material under the engine bay downstairs.

The fire station in Black River, St Elizabeth, with its fresh look after it was battered by storm surges during the passage of Hurricane Melissa last October.Garfield Robinson

“We were fortunate to receive 1,000 bags of cement from Carib Cement and other building material came from other stakeholders. Here at the fire station was the distribution point,” said Brooks while adding that skilled persons assisted in the reconstruction of homes.

For the most part, normal operations has returned to the fire station in the Melissa-ravaged town with a few inconveniences at the facility which houses 50 staff including firefighters.

At present the fire station, which was officially opened in February 2024, looks unblemished. However, there are challenges with a leaking roof and two electrical units not yet restored.

“The generator here that was damaged during the hurricane, it has been repaired, but has not been reinstalled, so that in itself hampers our operations whenever there is a JPS outage. The industrial washing machine that was damaged [has not been replaced],” said Brooks.

“The roof membrane that went during the hurricane has not been replaced, so that caused leaking. The windows and doors have been replaced,” he added.

— Kasey Williams