Nagra Plunkett, Staff Reporter
WESTERN BUREAU:
ALTHOUGH EMERGENCY services were placed on high alert yesterday after fire engulfed a section of the Star Princess cruise ship en route to Montego Bay, St. James, the shabby state of the island's fire service has again come under the microscope.
Shahine Robinson, Opposition Spokesman on Local Government, yesterday called on Prime Minister-designate Portia Simpson Miller to take immediate steps to deal with the ongoing crisis plaguing the fire service.
NO ASSISTANCE
"The Jamaica Fire Brigade was not able to offer any assistance to the stricken Star Princess even though it was within Jamaican territorial waters because the one fire boat assigned to Montego Bay had been out of service and on dry dock for a prolonged period of time," Mrs. Robinson said. "The inability of our fire service to respond to tragedies such as the one which occurred today (yesterday) could undermine our cruise shipping industry with disastrous consequences for the nation."
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
"Both Ocho Rios (St. Ann) and Montego Bay are very vibrant cruise destinations and should have fire boats," commented Harry Maragh, chief executive officer of Lannaman and Morris, agents of Carnival Corporation, owners of Star Princess.
He added, however, that the port of Montego Bay and its services responded "extremely well in the circumstances".
