Simon Quan donates hoses/equipment to Fire Department

As a department, they often come under fire for not getting to the scene fast enough. But second on the list of complaints against the National Fire Service is faulty equipment. A donation today should change things for the better though, as one local company has stepped forward with a significant contribution that will alter fire fighting in Belize City.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
It is estimated that thirty percent of the hoses of the National Fire Service in Belize City are badly in need of repair.

Today, the department admits that the busted equipment has affected the fire fighting capabilities in many cases. Holey hoses have been one of the leading criticisms levied against the department by the public.

Ted Smith, Assistant Fire Chief
?As we use them, there are certain pressure that is placed on them, so wear and tear occurs and it has to be replaced.?

Limited resources have forced fire fighters to patch the hoses with duct tape and plastic to mitigate the damage in time to respond to the next emergency call. The department does receive donations from the business community to help meet its commitment to the public, but today, Simon Quan Company Limited donated more than six thousand dollars worth of suction hoses and patches to the fire service.

According to assistant Fire Chief Ted Smith, proper patches will be used to repair some sixty lengths of hoses and the worn out the suction hoses will be replaced.

Ted Smith
?The suction hoses increase and improve our drafting capability. It is used to lift water from the canal and the hoses increases our hose capability on the file down, as we are able to restore?the amount of patches that they have purchased is able to restore some sixty lengths of hose for operational readiness within the department.?

?It makes us feel appreciated and gives us a sense of happiness to know that some of the companies out there think of the Fire Department as an important department within the community. On behalf of the Fire Chief and staff of the National Fire Service, the Fire Department thanks the Simon Quan group of companies for their generous and kind contribution to the Fire Department, the National Fire Service.?

In related news, Smith says investigations into the cause of the November twenty-sixth fire on Handyside Street are almost complete. We understand that initial findings strongly suggest careless actions involving a lighter may have contributed to the blaze.