FACTS NOT FICTION

https://newsday.co.tt/2025/03/20/paray-im-sticking-with-unc/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJKyNdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHSmvBb4WJC26arV_4Fgji7NMYun7Cqlmdg9Vf73lzt-AeZsxczcLgEGdwA_aem_9L9G896ZL_-h3zSMUIA-1w

Paray: I'm sticking with UNC - Trinidad and Tobago Newsday MAYARO MP Rushton Paray is wishing his former colleague and MP for Cumuto/Manzanilla Dr Rai Ragbir well but will not be following in his footsteps to sever ties from the United National Congress (UNC).

INADEQUATE FIRE SERVICES RESOURCES- MAYARO CONSTITUENCY

MP Rushton Paray
15th March 2025.

The fire service situation in the Mayaro Constituency is nothing short of a disaster, and it is a direct result of the negligence and incompetence of the Rowley administration, particularly Minister Hinds and his predecessors. With only one fire tender serving 41,000 residents across 201 square miles, spanning Mayaro, Rio Claro, and Biche, the government has left this region dangerously exposed.

This is not just a failure; it is an abandonment of responsibility. Fire response times are dangerously slow, meaning lives, homes, schools, and businesses are at constant risk. There are 19 primary schools and 5 secondary schools in this constituency, yet there is no reliable fire protection if multiple emergencies occur. The Galeota Point Industrial Complex, a critical hub for the energy sector, operates under the constant threat of disaster with inadequate fire coverage outside of its in-house response. A major fire in that facility could have catastrophic consequences, not just for the industry but for the entire country’s energy security.

In the past, Mayaro could at least rely on backup from the Princes Town fire station. That is no longer an option because the government allowed that station to be decommissioned. There is no alternative plan, no backup, no consideration for the people of this region. When a fire breaks out, residents are left to pray that the lone tender is available and close enough to respond in time.

Businesses and homeowners now face skyrocketing insurance costs because insurers recognize the reality—this government has made Mayaro a fire hazard. If a major commercial fire erupts, the economic fallout will be devastating. Jobs will be lost, livelihoods will be destroyed, and the community will be left to pick up the pieces while Rowley and Hinds continue their political games in Port of Spain.

This is reckless governance. It is inexcusable neglect. The people of Mayaro are not second-class citizens. Fire protection is not a luxury—it is a basic government responsibility. The Rowley administration has failed this constituency, and every passing day without urgent action puts more lives and properties at risk. Firefighting resources must be expanded immediately, and if this government refuses to act, then the people will remember their betrayal.

So while the Red & Ready assemble to show strength and power in Woodford Square this weekend, the real Red Brigade remain in a comatose state thanks to a failed Rowley Administration.