The Barbados Fire Service’s first dedicated ambulance as part of a new national ambulance system was rolled out on Friday in a near $1 million upgrade to emergency response capabilities.
The fleet of new vehicles and equipment is designed to cut response times and tackle urban fires in hard-to-reach areas.
The new fleet includes two high-capacity trash pumps capable of dewatering large flooded areas in record time, a fully outfitted ambulance, and two compact fire tenders designed to navigate narrow city streets where parked vehicles often block access for larger appliances.
Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams revealed that the new headquarters at The Pine, originally intended solely for the Fire Service, will now also serve as the new home of the National Ambulance Service.
The two high-capacity trash pumps are portable, heavy-duty water pumps designed to clear floodwaters from roads, homes and low-lying districts far more efficiently than standard drainage systems.
The upgrades form part of a wider strategy to modernise the country’s emergency response system through shared resources, enhanced mobility and better coordination between agencies, he told a commissioning ceremony at the Arch Hall Fire Station in St Thomas.
So far, only the Arch Hall station will be equipped with the ambulance.
“If you look at the equipment, it will surprise anybody that it costs as low as it is,” the minister said. “Everything here costs less than $800 000. That is the two fire tenders, the two trash pumps and the ambulance.”
“The vision that we had has been embraced by all of government. That is why you see that big building, that massive edifice in The Pine, the new headquarters for the Barbados Fire Service, but it’s not the headquarters of the Barbados Fire Service,” Abrahams said. “Initially, when it was conceived, it was supposed to be for the Barbados Fire Service. But it’s now the new headquarters for the Barbados Fire Service and the Barbados Ambulance Service.”
“Initially, when it was conceived, it was supposed to be for the Barbados Fire Service. But it’s now the new headquarters for the Barbados Fire Service and the Barbados Ambulance Service.”
The joint facility would strengthen coordination and improve emergency response times, because “quite often, the things that the Barbados Fire Service has to respond to are the same things the ambulance service has to respond to,” he said.
“I am glad that we have this synergy,” Abrahams declared. “And with our EMT-trained persons, it just makes sense. We can supplement the ambulance service; the ambulance service can supplement the work of the fire service.”
Abrahams said the smaller tenders were a “mitigation step” to ensure effective urban firefighting without compromising power. Though more compact, the new appliances have the same hose, water, and foam output capacity as the larger engines and can connect to hydrants for full performance.
He described the fleet upgrades as “cutting-edge technology” and evidence that the Fire Service was “flying, sprinting into the modern era.”
He praised the leadership and personnel of the BFS for their vision and dedication: “So chief, I want to commend you, your hierarchy, your middle management, your line officers, your recruits. The Barbados Fire Service has done us proud. We are proud of you.”
The minister said the new systems would directly benefit the public and improve national safety. “Our ministry is proud of you. All that you have here is going to operate to the benefit of Barbados and Barbadians. These things now will save lives,” he declared. “And I don’t say that glibly. I mean literally. The ability to get into small areas in a city or to supplement the other tenders in a massive fire… that is all the potential to save lives. The ambulance, well, an ambulance helps people, helps to save lives.”
Abrahams said all new fire officers are now being trained as emergency medical technicians so they can stabilise victims while awaiting ambulance transport, ensuring an integrated response to emergencies involving injury, smoke inhalation, or vehicle extractions.
He also highlighted the new trash pumps as a crucial investment in national disaster resilience, noting that they can help reduce flood-related damage and mosquito breeding after heavy rains. “These are the first of their kind in Barbados,” he said. “No other equipment on the island matches their capacity.”
(SZB)
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