The General Maintenance Department comprises of four (4) sections- Transport and Fleet Management, Vehicle maintenance, Building maintenance and Equipment Maintenance sections. This department has the responsibility to ensure that vehicles, buildings and equipment are maintained in optimum condition which maximizes the effectiveness of the brigade’s performance while minimizing the possibility of injury to staff and bystanders.
The General Maintenance Department also develops motor vehicle specifications for all vehicles used by the brigade, most of which are customized to provide the performance required to effectively execute our daily task in all road and weather conditions. A daily inventory of all vehicles is carried out and a Motor Vehicle Status Report is generated for the entire fleet each morning. Units, buildings and equipment in need of repairs are assessed by trained staff members within each section, after which arrangements are made to have the necessary repairs and maintenance completed in a timely manner.
In addition, the department develops architectural designs of fire station building suitable for usage by firefighters and the general public. These building are designed with capabilities to house the required unit/ units and firefighters needed to effectively operate on each fire ground. This data is achieved following the analysis of the risk and hazards that exist in that specific fire ground.
The Transport and Fleet Management section has an ongoing intense driver/operator training program. Operator training is necessary to train driver to operate specialize units such as Aerials, Emergency Tenders, Ambulances and Fire boats. These units respond and operate in incidents involving rescue/ firefighting operations in high rise buildings, motor vehicle extrication, pre-hospital care and marine rescue and firefighting operations. This section also monitors the daily fuel and lubricant usage of each unit. Accidents involving the brigade’s units are investigated and reported on by the trained accident scene investigators,
The Vehicle maintenance section continues to ensure that all units remain road worthy by performing schedule maintenance and/or repairs to units. This is accomplished by constant monitoring of each unit’s condition. A monthly Motor Vehicle Inspection is done by trained auto technicians strategically operating in the various divisions island wide. The information obtained is documented on a Motor Vehicle Monthly Inspection Form. The data provided is assessed by the officer in charge of Vehicle Maintenance and the necessary action taken to have repairs and/or maintenance work undertaken in a timely manner.
The Building Maintenance Section ensure that all building utilized by the brigade’s staff remains safe, in addition the section responds to any reported incident of faulty electrical and plumbing systems and any other structural damages. This section is equipped with train personnel that possess the requisite skills to handle every repair task required on our buildings.
The equipment maintenance section is responsible to ensure that each unit responds with fully functioning equipment. Loose equipment to include portable pumps and generator, jaws-of-life machines, powered saws, hoses, etc are repaired and maintained to provide a full working sytem whenever a unit responds to an incident.
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