Overview:
After greater than 20 years with out hearth safety providers, Port-de-Paix has obtained a hearth truck and an ambulance by a donation from the Canadian Peace and Safety Officers Coaching Affiliation (CPSOTA). The emergency automobiles are a part of a $3 million package deal from the diaspora-linked nonprofit group to assist rehabilitate and strengthen emergency providers nationwide.
PORT-DE-PAIX— After greater than twenty years with out a functioning hearth service, residents of Port-de-Paix have welcomed the arrival of a long-awaited hearth truck and ambulance — gear they hope will mark a turning level for public security within the Northwest Division’s largest metropolis.
The automobiles had been donated by the Canadian Peace and Safety Officers Coaching Affiliation (CPSOTA), a Montreal-based nonprofit supported by members of the Haitian diaspora. The cargo is a part of a broader $3 million donation that has delivered 13 hearth vehicles and 10 ambulances throughout Haiti in current months to strengthen the nation’s emergency response capability.
For a lot of Haitians, entry to fundamental hearth and rescue providers stays inconsistent or nonexistent. Outdoors Port-au-Prince and some main cities, municipalities usually lack educated personnel, functioning gear and dependable funding. Fires, floods and visitors accidents regularly go away residents to fend for themselves, counting on neighbors with buckets of water, unconventional strategies or improvised transport to hospitals.
Port-de-Paix, a coastal metropolis of over 400,000 folks and the capital of the Northwest Division, had gone greater than 20 years with out a formal hearth division, in line with native officers and residents.
Mayor Josué Alusma informed The Haitian Occasions the gear arrived on Feb. 12 after he appealed to central authorities authorities. The revived hearth prevention and rescue service, beforehand connected to the departmental police, will now function beneath Metropolis Corridor administration.
“It’s because of our advocacy that this gear has arrived right here in Port-de-Paix to serve and shield all residents of my municipality,” Alusma mentioned.
Some residents, nevertheless, questioned the mayor’s declare of credit score, noting longstanding infrastructure challenges within the metropolis.
For others, the main focus is much less on politics and extra on safety.
“For a big city space like Port-de-Paix, it was unacceptable and really dangerous to function with out at the very least one hearth division,” mentioned Jocelin Oscar, 35. “We reside right here with none safety in opposition to fires. We want at the very least three further hearth vehicles to make sure better security.”
Oscar welcomed the donation however pleaded with the authorities for greater than a hearth truck and an ambulance. “We hope that well-trained professionals and extra gear will arrive quickly to supply constant, efficient providers.”
The absence of fireside providers has had lasting penalties.
In 2009, Pierline Charles misplaced her residence within the Démélus neighborhood when a hearth unfold unchecked. With out firefighters to reply, she mentioned, the flames consumed every part. Unable to rebuild, the mom of 5 relocated to the countryside.
“If there had been a service within the metropolis, my calls might need been sufficient to assist me keep away from dropping my residence,” Charles mentioned.
Cabinetmaker Jacklin Maréus recalled dropping his woodworking store in 2017, valued at greater than 3 million gourdes or over $23,000, after a hearth destroyed the enterprise.
“Within the absence of firefighters, my family members and pals had been unable to place it out utilizing easy containers of water,” he mentioned. “With the arrival of the firefighters, I consider losses from main fires can be diminished.”
Constructing capability past gear
Metropolis officers agree with residents that gear alone isn’t sufficient. The municipality plans to recruit 25 younger residents for specialised coaching to function the service.
“After greater than 20 years, the previous hearth division workers are now not out there. We due to this fact want new recruits who will obtain correct coaching,” mentioned Vacneur Cédieu, director of Port-de-Paix Metropolis Corridor.
Due to restricted native experience, officers say trainers might come from Cap-Haïtien, Port-au-Prince or overseas.
Nationally, CPSOTA has mixed gear donations with coaching initiatives. On Nov. 14, 2025, the group concluded a two-week emergency response training in Pétion-Ville for 200 younger individuals, together with firefighters and civil safety brokers. The classes centered on speedy intervention methods, catastrophe administration, first help and hearth suppression. In the course of the closing ceremony, CPSOTA President and CEO Harold Turnier formally handed over hearth vehicles and ambulances to Haitian authorities.
Municipal leaders within the Port-au-Prince metropolitan space, together with Pétion-Ville and Tabarre, praised the partnership, calling it a part of a broader technique to modernize emergency response in a rustic extremely uncovered to hurricanes, floods and earthquakes.
A diaspora-driven instance
Residents in Port-de-Paix say CPSOTA’s contribution demonstrates how diaspora-led initiatives can deal with important gaps in public providers.
“This donation ought to serve for instance of the patriotic spirit of the Haitian diaspora,” mentioned Raymond Fragellus, 65. “It exhibits attachment to main cities like Port-de-Paix which have lengthy been uncared for.”
Others urged Haitian-led diaspora organizations to put money into sustainable improvement initiatives that strengthen native establishments somewhat than present short-term help.
For now, the hearth truck stays parked, awaiting full operational rollout. However for residents who’ve watched houses and companies burn with no skilled response, its presence alone indicators hope.
“After years of vulnerability, Port-de-Paix might lastly be rebuilding a frontline protection in opposition to catastrophe — one truck at a time,” Fragellus concluded.