Dominica’s Fire and Ambulance Services today received four new ambulances from the Government of Dominica. The new vehicles cost over $440,000.
This totals six new ambulances that the department has received over a four month period from the government.
Speaking at a small handing over ceremony this morning, Chief Fire Officer Josiah Dupuis said the ambulances are well-received.
According to Dupuis, the additional ambulances should reduce the response time to ambulance calls. He noted that the aim of the department is to be able to respond to each ambulance call within ten minutes. “Anything that can reduce our response time will certainly be a plus,” he said.
He alluded to a recent problem that the fire service faced when there was a lack of ambulances, and he told the ceremony this morning that the new vehicles will allow the department to continue their work at improving the fire service.
“We anticipate that they will be able to serve us and certainly address some of the shortcomings we have seen, particularly in the last year, as it relates to availability to ambulance service across the island… when we do not have enough ambulances to service every district it does affect the service overall on the island. It means to the extent that one ambulance covers many districts and this is far from ideal…I welcome this initiative tremendously…,” the fire chief stated.
“It is not nice when someone would call for an ambulance and we would have to say to the caller or the doctor or the nurse that the ambulance is out responding to a call… the likelihood of this occurrence from today will be a lot less…” Dupuis said. Dupuis added that with the addition of the new ambulances there will now be a back up ambulance in some districts.
Dupuis commended fire officers who are doing their jobs effectively and spoke against malpractice, laid back attitudes and ambulance accidents.
According to him, while there are many hardworking firemen there is still room for improvement within the fire service.
“When due to our malpractice, our negligence, our basically laid back attitude, we get reports or we get a sense that we are operating like that it is something that is quite disturbing, and while at this point I am aware that there are several fire officers who must be commended for their exploits in driving ambulances and in ambulance care… there is room for much improvement,”
“I speak here of how we respond to the ambulance calls and how courteous we are. Even if an ambulance is not available… I speak also of how we handle people. We should show that brotherly love…” Dupuis said.
Meanwhile, Minister for National Security Charles Savarin presented the ambulance to the department and said that he hoped that the vehicles would serve a long and faithful service and would be well taken care off.
Savarin referred to the fire department as an indispensable service to the public.
A helicopter is needed also.
when i come big i got to make tem sell that it do’t have speed
good job daddy josiah
ACCESS TO THE ISLAND AND NATIONAL SECURITY WILL BOOST THE ECONOMY. WELL DONE.
Those firemen ain’t train paramedics but are EMTs. They need PARAMEDICS.
Why would Nana ask such a dumb question …..Are the Fire officials insured? I think in the Commonwealth of Dominica and in every other country it is mandatory to have insurance as long as you drive a vehicle. If these people are working for the government I am sure that those in charge will see to it that the vehicles and also the drivers are insured and the fire fighters are properly trained to drive these vehicles. I hope life insurance is included in the fire fighters benefits package.
Great more ambulances but my question is Are the fire officers insured? having the ambulance is one but if who is driving is not insured then they might had well use the $440,000.00 to insure and traing the fire officers.
am very much impressed with the govt for giving 4 more ambulances to the fire officers ,but at the same time they must be very care ful while driving cause many of them we driving these vehicles believe well because it is not my own i can drive it how i wants but it is not like that .
Congratulations are in order to the Prime Minister and the Government of Dominica for achieving a very very tiny, but significant piece of the many necessities that lacks on the Island for the use and well being of our people. Please keep in mind that in order for these Ambulance services to be effective,we are going to need Professionally Trained Paramedics to drive and tend to the Patients. The Ambulance driver must take a course in defensive driving,remember those Ambulances will not only serve our people,but also the Tourists and visitors who comes to spend vacations and special occasions like Carnival,Creole and Christmas holidays.
For now Mr. Prime Minister,I give you a B -… I know it will be difficult,but go for an A + .
“Dupuis commended fire officers………… and spoke against malpractice, laid back attitudes and ambulance accidents.”
I am very happy to learn that the present fire chief is in fact very concerned about ambulance accidents. I made refference to this when the first two ambulances (48 & 49) were recieved.
It is my hope, that these four ambulances (50, 51, 52, & 53) will be driven carefully, so as to avoid
their loss of use, as a result of accidents.
It is my hope that public confidence will also be boosted.
Finally Mr. Fire chief, while the public is greatful for these six ambulances, a much larger ambulance fleet is needed. Can you imagine a 30 seater Toyota Coaster filled with passangers plunging into
a deep gourge, and all its passangers are injured? Certainly, your department would be faced with
a challenge, given your very limited (about 10 operational?) fleet of ambulances. Please sir, keep
pressing for a few additional ambulances.
Way to go PM. A number of lives have been saved by these ambulances. As for the rural areas. A hire to the hospital is about $250.00 if the person is considerate. GOD BLESS SKERRIT AND THE LABOUR PARTY> VIVA DLP.
Are the firemen who man thse ambulances trained paramedics??!!!!
Just curious!!!!
more ambulance is good, but these fire officers need to learn to be more careful when driving. Ask for the Police……hmmmmm???