Adrian Frater, News Editor
Helicopters from the United States military at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston as part of the Tradewinds military exercise. This was held in March and April this year to assist the nations in the Caribbean in their security preparations for Cricket World Cup 2007. - NORMAN GRINDLEY/DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHERWESTERN BUREAU:
AS THE countdown to the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup intensifies, there is now growing uncertainty as to whether or not some of the required local support services will be in a state of readiness for the much heralded tournament.
In western Jamaica, which is slated to host the competition's grand opening ceremony at the new stadium at Florence Hall near Falmouth in Trelawny, indications are that while the new facility will be ready, important areas such as security and emergency services are still lagging behind.
Despair and uncertainty abound in the region's badly-depleted fire service, especially in Falmouth, where fire-fighters are now housed under extremely trying conditions at the town's Poor Relief Department because they have no headquarters of their own.
"Work on the new headquarters is at a very preliminary stage as they are still driving piles," reports Assistant Superintendent Dolfin Doeman, the acting head of the Trelawny Fire Brigade. "With all the various elements that could affect construction, I can't say with any certainty that it will be ready for the World Cup."
ONLY ONE FIRE TRUCK
To further compound the Trelawny situation, Assistant Superintendent Doeman said the department only has one fire truck, which is unreliable as it is plagued by frequent breakdowns. With the department not slated to get any additional units until the completion of the new headquarters, the fire chief said it is impossible to predict what state the fire service will be in come next year.
The situation in St. James, Hanover and Westmoreland is almost as bad as that in Trelawny where the fire services are also faced with dilapidated buildings, non-functional fire hydrants, severe shortage of fire trucks and other emergency service vehicles.
"Unless we get assistance from the Sangster's International Airport, we won't be in a position to fight fires on high-rise buildings or fires that are gas-related," said a fire-fighter at the Montego Bay Fire Brigade. "Our situation could be described as approaching a corner at full speed without breaks and hoping that we don't encounter another vehicle."
While not experiencing the same levels of concerns as the health and fire services, there is also a security concern in the western region, as Falmouth, which will be the focal point of the cricket tournament in the west, is currently without police headquarters.
GREAT SHAME
"It would be a great shame if the World Cup catches us in this rickety old building," said a constable based at the current headquarters, which has been condemned by the Trelawny Parish Council. "Can you imagine how embarrassed we would be if we should get a visit from the overseas media?"
However, Asssistant Commissioner of Police, Owen Ellington, who is in charge of security for the Jamaica side of the tournament, is unperturbed by the situation in Falmouth. According to him, with or without functional headquarters in Trelawny, the police will be ready to provide high-quality security.
"While it would be good if we have functional headquarters in Falmouth, the absence of one will not affect us because we have the capacity to establish command centres at various locations," said ACP Ellington. "Our primary emphasis will be on the venue and the areas where we will have visitors; we don't foresee any difficulties establishing command centres at these locations."
With Jamaica's hope of properly cashing in on the US$100 million investment in the tournament hinging on creating a favourable impression on the 20,000 fans expected to visit the island, many consider it of paramount importance to have our support services in peak condition.
