UPDATE: NDP Govt’ got their priority mixed up – VG Resident
Mr McLean was at the time responding to questions posed to him about the absence of a fire truck at Virgin Gorda as several person have been expressing grave concern about this issue. One such person is Mr Bailey Landover, resident at North Sound Virgin Gorda.
“This is the greatest situation a remote Island like Virgin Gorda has to face up to and the government is definitely having their priority mixed up, how could you have no fire truck in a place like this, they are waiting for something extremely bad to happen before they get serious?” questioned Mr. Landover.
The fears of residents on the Island have manifested itself as recently as Tuesday morning March 11, 2014, when at North Sound, a motor vehicle burst into flames and the made shift fire truck and fire fighter turned up with only the protective gears, a pump in the back of a pick-up truck and no water.
“Could you imagine if that driver was trapped in that vehicle, could you imagine, that fuel had leaked out of the burning vehicle, run down the hill and the fire had follow it?” expressed another resident who chose only to be identified as Mr O’Neal.
Mr McLean said that there were contingency mechanisms in place for incidents such as the one on Tuesday, which sadly, fell through. “I spoke with residents long before this (the fire) happened and they had expressed that they felt that they were being exposed to risks and I told them that we had contingencies, unfortunately some of the contingencies did not work like how we had planned,” said Mr McLean.
He noted that like the feelings of many, the situation at Virgin Gorda is no different than that at Tortola, “But tomorrow I have to still keep going, still keep trying,” he added. He explained that one of the back-up arrangements that were put in place was for a water supply unit to accompany to the pick-up which was equipped with the pump and the other firefighting apparatus. “But sadly that fell though; it didn’t work,” Mr McLean said.
According to Mr O’Neal many persons are guilty of attempting to defend the actions of the current government but, “This is not something that any organization or group of people or no one rich man could just step up and deal with; these are priority matters for a Government but this NDP Government got their priority mixed up, messed up and they continue to be blind.”
The man said that he had given the NDP his vote but noted it is a mistake he would not be making in the future should they continue with especially three Ministers; Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn; Minister for Communications and Works Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool and Minister for Health and Social Development Honourable Ronnie W. Skelton.
“They failed me, they failed the people of the BVI and they are a failure to themselves,” he said and was supported by several others who were in his company at the time. “Tell them me the big man O’Neal says so,” he added.
See previous story published March 11, 2014:
Vehicle catches afire at VG
- No serious injuries to occupant, no water in made shift fire truck
NORTH SOUND, Virgin Gorda, VI - A Ford explorer burst into flames a short while ago at North Sound Virigin Gorda but the driver managed to escape unhurt.
Eyewitnesses said that the vehicle being driven at the time by a man whose was only known as 'King Man' burst into flames as it reached the top of the hill in the vacinity of the bump at North Sound.
While the driver, a Vincentian, was able to vacate the burning car, his hopes of salvaging any of his personal effects from the car were dashed as firefighter turned up with their made-shift fire truck allegedly without water. "All they had in the back of a pick-up was a pump and they couldn't do a single thing," this news site was told by an eyewitness.
Another person who turn up on the scene as the car was still ablaze confirmed that the firefighters present were of no use as they were forced to stand by and watch the car burn flat.
This news site will provide follow-up details.
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30 Responses to “UPDATE: NDP Govt’ got their priority mixed up – VG Resident”
Poor work. & yes all them do is set and talk this and that, how I know, I dose be there too, sometimes.
come on guys, your not cut out for that.
I drove past the burning vehicle twice within about 30 minutes, and all the FD did was standby, and allowed the car to burn to the ground (including tyros), damaging the road. Could they not have sent for fire extinguishers? Very worrisome, indeed.