Two new portable fire pumps will boost the Virgin Islands Fire and Rescue Services Department’s response capacity, officials said this week.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer William Penn said the pumps provide access to water sources like cisterns, swimming pools and the ocean.
They also are capable of pumping water over long distances and are very effective for fighting fires at sea, Mr. Penn said.
He added that identical pumps were successfully used during the October 2010 rains to prevent flooding in the Cappoons Bay area.
The pumps were also used to pump seawater for 24 hours continuously to keep the BVI Electricity Corporation’s power plant generators cooled after Tropical Storm Irene in August.
Before the new equipment was commissioned last month, a 25-hour-run certification was carried out, and the equipment continues to be used on a daily basis during training, Mr. Penn said.