By David Rowe, Contributor 
Hugh Coore, second vice-president of the Jamaica Gasolene Retailers Association (JGRA), and Carlene Salmon, JGRA secretary/manager, cleaning up their office in the Kings Plaza on Monday, January 10, one day after a massive fire did extensive damage to the property.
IT IS pointless that the owners of businesses continue to squabble about the inadequacies of the Jamaica Fire Brigade when the facts are known as to what must be done to alleviate the problem. This has been an age-old argument that is started after every major fire in Jamaica.
The dependence of businesses and enterprises on the Jamaica Fire Brigade to put out fires on their premises when they get out of hand is tantamount to putting the hand at the end of the tail pipe of a car to stop it from emitting smoke.
Our general and property insurers need to get in the fray as a matter of urgency to help stop the needless loss that the country is now facing.
All the finger-pointing that is now taking place is simply hiding the level of serious inadequacies that permeate many business operations in Jamaica today.
There is much to be done, and the action to be taken will not have to drive any one out of business nor cause inconveniences at the level that is seen after a destructive fire such as the one at King's Plaza over the weekend of January 8 and 9. The arrest of the street person, who it is alleged may have started a fire nearby, is simply an act of scapegoating to appease someone's ire.
BUSINESSES OPERATING
WITHOUT EMERGENCY PLAN
Proper systems and procedures to manage emergencies such as fires have long been recognised as a necessary management tool for any successful business at operational and policy level. Yet, there are some businesses that are operating in Jamaica without any form of an emergency plan, and this fact is not restricted to small business.
This unwise act persists even in the face of the fact that Jamaica is in a hurricane disaster zone as well as an earthquake zone. With this kind of psyche that is noted in many local business practices, it is no wonder that not even the simplest of provision for a fire is made, even though there are high-risk multimillion-dollar businesses being operated.
Yet again, there are some who have physical peripheries installed but that is just it, there is no programme to drive the management of these systems. Fire-fighting equipment is purchased but there is no maintenance programme.
The way forward in this situation is to simply protect businesses by being alert to the dangers of a fire before it becomes a problem to the business. It is penny wise and pound foolish to have a multimillion-dollar business in operation and for the want of a fire protection system that costs less than a million dollars, that business establishment is lost to a fire that could have been prevented or detected in the incipient stage.
'RUM BAR TALK'
It is interesting to listen to the anecdotes surrounding the King's Plaza fire. When these stories are aired in the media it leaves one to wonder if this is 'rum bar talk' as it is only in the bar/drinking saloon, that some of these stories should be repeated. It shows that there is gross neglect and ineptitude in the matter of business protection. In most cases, if businesses were equipped with good fire protection systems these fires could have been detected at an early stage where they could be extinguished before it could cause destruction.
I am not here holding brief for the ill-equipped fire service but to highlight the fact that businesses must now be operated smarter and in keeping with modern trends. The little man or woman out in some remote rural district is expecting a modern well-equipped fire service in the time of need.
SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS
The fact that a big business in the town is equipped with state of the art fire protection systems is no consolation to our granny up in the hill out in the countryside. The problem is a systemic one that will take a national will to solve.
Education of our people, infrastructural facilities such as proper water supply and access ways are necessary factors to put us on the way forward. Knowing that the budgetary allocation is small and inadequate, it therefore leaves those in command of the fire services to work with the relevant stake- holders to get their systems and procedures right.
Maintenance and servicing routines for the engines, supplier relationship for after-sales support, training (continuous) of personnel in the use and care of the equipment, documented systems and procedures and accountability, are some of the management techniques that must be employed to overcome the present challenges in the fire service.
There seems to be a staffing problem in the fire brigade alsoand this must be dealt with as a matter of priority. Our firefighters must remember that member of the public, the 'civilians dem'. are their customers. I implore them to bear this factor in minds, as it will have far reaching long-term implications for the existence of the service and the relationship with the people whom they serve.
Communication and quality customer service training should be included in the training routine of the fire brigade. Maybe it is time that we start to look in the direction of community involvement through the neighbourhood watch programme or the youth club network. There are structures in these areas that can facilitate the kind of training that the fire service can offer to mobilise a team of community volunteers. A system of community volunteer firefighting team can be done but it will take careful planning to achieve the desired results.
It is now time for business owners and entrepreneurs to get their priorities right. No longer can businesses be in operation with asset value in the millions and there is a reluctance to spend hundreds to protect it. In this scenario, it is only the insurance companies that will make a quick profit, as they will hike the annual premiums while the business remains exposed.
DRAIN ON THE ECONOMY
The short-term gains that may be reaped by our general insurance companies, however, is in contrast to the overall drain on the economy. It is therefore common sense for the general insurance companies to take a more active role in encouraging businesses to implement tangible fire protection plans and an overall emergency management policy and procedures.
Incentive programmes, training, risk assessment and audits, penalties or refusing cover to some establishments may be some of the measures that they may have to employ to get the message across.
Although the draft Occupational Safety and Health Act (OS&H) does not speak to fire protection directly, this may be one of the areas that the regulators may apply to an owner/employer as a breach. Having a fire protection system may be one of the clauses that may be applied as a prerequisite for registration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security as is proposed in the draft OS&H Act.
