MP Kelvin “shuggy” Simon Said: My heart is heavy as I address you today in the wake of yet another devastating house fire—this time in Urlings. I extend my deepest sympathies and prayers to those affected.
Our community stands with you, and we will not rest until real solutions are in place to prevent tragedies like this from continuing to happen.
But let me be clear—this was not just an unfortunate accident. This was a failure of leadership. A failure of planning. A failure of priorities. And it falls squarely at the feet of the ABLP administration, which has dragged its feet and left our communities defenseless for far too long.
Despite acquiring four new fire trucks and a ladder truck—purchased based on the Fire Brigade’s own assessment—our emergency response in the south remains shockingly inadequate.
Johnson’s Point Fire Station, which should be our first line of defense, has been left without a proper fire tender. Instead, a truck with a 360-gallon capacity has been assigned to serve an entire region.
Anything less than 1000 gallons is simply not enough. Imagine placing the lives and livelihoods of thousands of residents and businesses at risk with a fire tender that doesn’t even have the capacity to properly fight a grass fire, much less a house fire!
This mismanagement is made even worse by the government’s failure—year after year—to complete the Bolans Fire Station.
This is not just an unfinished project; it is a symbol of neglect, broken promises, and reckless disregard for public safety. With major hotels like Jolly Beach, Carlisle Bay, Curtain Bluff, South Coast Horizon, Keyonna Beach, and countless guest houses relying on emergency services, this is not just a community issue—it is a national embarrassment.
What will it take for this administration to act? A larger fire? The loss of more homes? The loss of lives?