Aerial platform truck joins fleet at Fire Service

The Belize Fire Service has a new addition to its fleet of fire fighting machines. The keys to a new aerial platform truck were handed over today to Fire Chief Henry Baizar by Minister Responsible for the Fire Department Dickie Bradley and Prime Minister Said Musa. Bradley and Musa took a spin in the bucket, but they made sure they were back on the ground real fast. According to a retired New Jersey fire-fighter, Al Lamkie, fighting fires from such heights will significantly improve service.

Al Lamkie, Trainer, Aerial Platform Truck

“Basically, it’s knowing the operation of the vehicle, having properly setting them up so they it could be safely operated, squatting the vehicle, that is placing the vehicle at a proper distance away from the building to they can reach different routes and different windows for different heights. The main purpose of the aerial device is to either rescue people from the rooms or windows of a high building, or as a water tower to spray water from above onto a fire. It throws a thousand gallons of water out of an elevated stream up to a hundred feet in the air, which allows you to reach or block. So it could be able to park the vehicle in areas that weren’t real high rise and use it to stop the spread of fire by using the elevated platform and the water cannon to extinguish the fire.

The new truck will be stationed in Belize City.