
File
Water gushing from a fire hydrant.Erica Virtue, Staff Reporter
The Jamaica Fire Service has reached an agreement with The National Water Commission (NWC) to reduce its J$3.4 million water debt.
The agreement includes a percentage write off of the debt which was incurred up to the year 2000, while the remainder is to be paid for over a four-month period. The agreement does not include current bills, but Ministry of Local Government sources (the parent body of the Jamaica Fire Service) said that the fire service was up to date with the agreement.
The agreement facilitates "the reduction of a fixed amount over time on a continuous basis," a release from the Communications Unit at the Ministry said Friday.
In the meantime, the Jamaica Fire Service, which has responsibility for the maintenance of fire hydrants, has mounted a fire hydrant repair programme islandwide so firemen can have easier access to working hydrants to put out fires.
According to the release, more than 1,500 fire hydrants in six parishes have been repaired. The programme, the release said, was part of ongoing efforts to modernise its operations for greater efficiency.
Under the "In-house Hydrants Maintenance Programme", minor repairs were effected to 1,556 hydrants islandwide in 2000. These were done to stem leaks and restore service to units. Repairs were carried out in the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew, St. James, St. Catherine and Clarendon.
One vehicle has been assigned to the programme to expedite repairs.
There are approximately 10,600 fire hydrants islandwide. It could not be ascertained how many of those are in need of repairs and how many are in working order.