Yvonne Ravula 
[file/photo]
The National Fire Authority has dismissed claims that fire trucks respond to emergencies without water.
Chief Executive Officer Puamau Sowane says the authority continues to receive complaints from members of the public alleging that fire trucks arrive at scenes with empty water tanks.
However, Sowane says these claims are incorrect, stressing that all fire trucks undergo routine checks before every shift.
“We don’t run our truck without water. Even if it’s without water, when they are running, they could feel it. They could feel the splashing of the vehicle. So that is an assumption.”
He says firefighters follow a checklist every morning to ensure trucks are fully equipped and water tanks are filled before deployment.
The NFA CEO also addressed concerns over delayed response times, saying several factors contribute to how quickly firefighters reach a scene.
Sowane says the response process officially begins once the authority receives a call reporting a fire.
He explains that in some cases, fires may have already been burning for several minutes before emergency services are contacted.
According to Sowane, firefighters are trained to mobilize within one minute after receiving a call.
“Our standard time of response is five minutes because when they arrive at the fire scene within five minutes, that is the time they can douse the fire because it’s still at the initial stages.”
Sowane says heavy traffic congestion, the distance between fire stations and the incident location, and delays in reporting fires are among the major challenges affecting response times.
