B.T.L. to Purchase 2 Fire Trucks for San Pedro Town
Earlier in the month a massive fire in San Pedro Town destroyed ten houses and left eighty-seven persons homeless. The fire which occurred in the Boca Del Rio Area of the island was deliberately set. The inferno started in one house and spread rapidly to the remaining structures, clearing an entire block. It took about three hours for the buildings to burn to the ground. Firefighters were not adequately equipped to fight a blaze of that magnitude. Over the years, the fire department’s shortfalls have not gone without criticism but much of what the department needs has not been provided. In the wake of the recent fire in San Pedro Town, Belize Telemedia Limited has decided to donate two fire trucks to the island’s fire department. According to B.T.L.’s C.E.O., Rochus Schreiber, the two fire trucks have been identified.
Rochus Schreiber
Rochus Schreiber, C.E.O., B.T.L.
“San Pedro is the driving engine for tourism in the country. It is also one of the most important areas and the first area where we started rolling out DigiNet, the fiber network. Last year we connect San Pedro via submarine fiber link to the mainland and to the rest of the world. So for us it was very concerning when we saw the tragedies which have unfolded recently regarding the fire. So after the first fire where there was a loss of life we approached the San Pedro Mayor and the Government asking how can we help? What can we do to help you to address these issues? Between the Mayor of San Pedro and the Fire Department, they identified their most urgent needs. Then together with them we worked out on how we help them to find those trucks, how to find the financing for those trucks and deliver them as quickly as possible to San Pedro. I don’t have exactly when the trucks will arrive but I know they have already been identified. We ready to pay for them as soon as they are ready to be shipped over to Belize.”
Hipolito Novelo
“These trucks are being bought from where, the cost of these two trucks?”
Rochus Schreiber
“The details of where they have been bought and the cost of the trucks is with the fire department and I do not want to go into that area but it is a significant investment that we are making into the safety and security of the people of San Pedro.”
Schreiber expects the two fire trucks to be in San Pedro before Christmas.
As a retired firefighter now living in Belize, I can tell you. 2 more firetrucks is not the answer. A truck only stores 200-400 gallons of water. That is for dealing with small fires like a trash bin or small car. Yes a truck can pump water from another source (sea, river, pond pool etc). But it takes considerable time to set up the truck for such an operation. And only works if the pump is good to begin with. The Belize fire department needs water trucks to accompany the fire truck. A water truck with 1500-3000 gallons to support the pumper truck. In fact, the water truck can have a small pump and several hoses on itself.