Cayman Regiment spends $380k on used trucks
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Regiment said it has saved over $600,000 by purchasing used trucks and other vehicles for that will be used in various emergency situations as well as deploying the part-time soldiers. The regiment has spent $379,869 on two MAN HX60 4×4 Drop Side Cargos, a 4×4 HX60 crane truck, two Mercedes Unimog U1300L, one Volvo 4200 Wheeled Loader and a Karcher TFK 250 army mobile field kitchen trailer.
Lt Theo Kelly, the regiment’s Motor Transport Officer, who was involved in the logistics of bringing the equipment here, said it was a huge team effort. “The vehicles will make a massive difference in our ability to deploy troops and supplies across the island in case of an emergency situation,” he said.
The regiment’s commanding officer, Lt Col Simon Watson, said the support vehicles were vital to operate safely and effectively in times of emergency.
“They are 4×4 capable and can wade through over 3ft of water making them able to support evacuations during flooding as we’ve seen recently in Tropical Storm Eta,” he said. “These vehicles would have cost over a million dollars new, but we have purchased well-maintained, used vehicles which cost $379,869, providing a cost saving of over $620,000 to the government. The vehicles were fully serviced and repainted before being shipped, preparing them for a number of years use in Cayman. The CIR will always work to minimise costs to the public purse whilst preparing to provide Cayman with disaster relief support.”
Another shipment containing spare parts, generators and trailers is on its way to Cayman and is expected later this month. The vehicles in the port are currently clearing customs and will be received by the regiment shortly.
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Category: Local News
What back-up communications do they have,”When all else fails”?
I can’t understand where government is getting all this money from. Every day they creating and hiring people in high brackets with big wages starting a army with 100 new people on wages, buying all kinds equipments, dont forget the many people that used to works for tourism that they paying them to stay home, etc, etc, etc,. The country supposed to be closed WHERE THE MONEY COMING FROM ???
I see an invasion coming
We have kids going to overseas tournaments for various sports events who don’t have food and water and having to pay for it themselves yet we have money to pay for Dads Army staff by a few token “Kmanians “ aaaah but this little place is so #$&%up eh! Next is the Barracks and troop transport aircraft base .Islands that time forgot no longer exists! yet no one can help our children to get their student visas to the US!
The war that Caymanians have had and will have to fight can’t be solved by some regiment.
On the otherhand, can someone clearly explain the need for such an institution in Cayman.
Well, since guns and drugs are both illegal on the island, and there seems to be an increasing problem with each (that the RCIP can’t stop), you tell me.
CNS is the amount in the first sentence $600k or $6 Million?
CNS: The former. See the penultimate paragraph.
Good to know that there are ‘free lunches’ out there or at least that government found an inefficient market for used military equipment. Time will tell which if either.
Complete waste of money!
Then be sure not to use any help when a huge hurricane comes through.
We managed in the past.
Yes like they helped us the last time oh but some of your memories are real short and the the old mckeeva excuse is getting lame too! How about the one they were too tired from helping Grenada that sure did not help fend off the foreign rabble from going around here looting and robbing people in the aftermath. But they did move their wonderful governor offshore by helo to their warship to shower and eat Hurrrah ! And their proxies onshore did search the shelters for all Anglo Saxons with EU passports to get to the BA evac flights leaving the dummies wid EU passports still waving in the shelters what a real joke ?
I really can’t understand where the money is coming from for all of this government expenditure. What has been going on under the previous administration and now extending into this administration is simply irresponsible.
Be more interested in how much we paid for the rifles, webbing and helmets for the regiment – but I gu as we won’t be hearing about that because it’s difficult putting a civil defence spin on a firearm.
Judging by Fauci’s last statement, he is expecting a spike in the next COVID variant, even predicting an insane number of deaths.
This is pointing towards a massive September lockdown around the world and potential civil unrest.
Martyn Roper came prepared to deal with Cayman.
Take the tinfoil hat off and calm down. All they are doing is being prepared for the biggest months of hurricane season just in case. Be glad we have help because after Ivan, it was hard.
Nobody has asked the question – “are they bullet proof”. This is essential if they mount campaigns in West Bay and George Town.
meanwhile the school systems is still crap
Not for lack of money
It’s called lack of parenting
It’s called Caribbeanisation
Big facts. We have opened our doors to too many substandard individuals that inflate all their credentials and treat our children based on favourism, social status and the social circles that their parents run in.
Now we have exorcists and embezzlers running loose in our schools making major decisions in our educational system, amongst other unethical and frankly criminal behaviour that is always overlooked if you are friends with the right people or have the Minister of Education on group chat. As a result, we simply reap what we sow.
Don’t forget the REME way if it moves grease it if it doesn’t paint it.
Yep, spent time with them in Osnabruck.
If it leaks, paint it again.
Well done! In times when every second story we hear is of a negative tone (not to mention the comments that follow), its uplifting to see this type of effort. Regardless of the future outcomes or whether it proves to be the a winning choice, at least the initiative was taken and given what I have seen of the Regiment thus far, I suspect they will take pride in the upkeep of their vehicles and put the same work into them as they do into this startup effort of theirs. Again.. well done.
I thought only my wife could “save money” by buying stuff.
Was just thinking the same thing. 😂 Government “saved” $600,000 by buying used when they could have truly saved $980,000 by not buying at all.
7.15 Wrong.They could have saved the $380,000 that they spent.
I guarantee that within a year that fleet will be ineffective because of lack of parts or experienced personnel to fix them. They would have been way better off getting civilian vehicles and painting them green…but then again, considering their humanitarian mission, why paint them green?
When thse vehicles saves your life in a hurricane you won’t complain.
If the Regiment had bought brand new vehicles the negative posters would have asked for new vehicles.
What the H are you talking about? We all lived thru a Cat 5 without this. Like, seriously?
Second time I felt I had to post this…
Doesn’t anyone remember the UK frigate (not sure exactly the type of ship) out there asking to come onshore to help and you-know-who wouldn’t let them!!?? Said we were fine and didn’t need it.
I can’t believe I am the only one that remembers this. I saw it with my own eye holes.
Its money for the mother country, what else ?
What an absolute waste of money
We should have invested this money into the understaffed and underfunded Coast Guard. It would have made more sense to buy trucks for Public works that could be used for a disaster. This regiment is a total waste of resources. Look at the Community Emergency Response Teams that you can’t get to show up to anything and all the equipment that was wasted on them. They have bought trucks to sit around and rust. A military in this Island is a waste, all you need is a well staffed police and a Coast Guard with about 50 Staff and capable maintenace funding. I remember that the flat bed trucks and the bull dozers public works has work just fine in storm clean up. A military is just an armed force to control people. They serve no other purpose. Wait until the day this disaster assistance crew is carrying rifles on the back of those trucks and telling you to shelter in place. When it happens don’t say I did’nt warn you about this national guard.
Public works (and police) cannot be relied on to show up post disaster. That was our experience after Ivan. I am pleased we can be reliant on more than them, next time.
The same people that form the police and public works now form the “regiment” (what a misnomer) so I think you can expect the same response you got before.
Garbage in = garbage out.
5.40pm Really? I remember differently.
Its a bad sign for future maintainance costs when you have to purchase the spare parts up front. I know these are technically specialist vehicles but you have to ask if the degree of specialisation was really required. – Auditor General, please prove me wrong with a value for money audit in two years time.
And if they weren’t purchased up front you’d say they should have thought of that.
Not really, it shows that someone is actually thinking about this, recognizing that they will need spare parts and buying them in advance. Have you ever tried to get a specific vehicle part on island? – Sounds like good planning to me
They’ll be rust buckets within a year. CIG does not comprehend what preventative maintenance is🙄
Actually, I’m impressed! Someone saw the value in buying used Unimogs instead of paying double! These seem to be in great condition! Fair enough, Unimogs and these other specialist equipment can run for decades with proper maintenance and support.
Ummmm..wait a minute, that’s the same thing I thought when new Garbage trucks were bought under ex-Minister Osbourne Bodden’s watch 2013-2017……….until new ones were bought again in 2020!
So when do you get a REME regiment to repair and maintain these used trucks?
The regional defense against China continues to expand.
Absolute joke – what a complete waste of money.
You haven’t seen a hurricane, or lived through its aftermath, have you?
He probably has lived through at least one.
Just leave him be, probably has a very miserable life and spends time just slagging off anything and everything
Lots of those types around
What? We all lived thru a Cat 5 without this. Like, seriously WTH?
And tell me how long your electricity was off
My electricity was off until December 16, 2004 because poles were still down in my area until that date.
I have never been disconnected for non-payment since I took out a meter in January 1987.
Alot less than i was expecting, somewhat impressed. Hopefully they actually use them properly when needed.
As we’re coming into peak hurricane season, I’m glad they’ve got these, also glad that they’ve not gone and spent loads of money on brand new ones, seems quite sensible for a Government department!
civil service keeps expanding/spending…..all in the face of mounting monthly cig deficits…
welcome to wonderland.
I thought that maybe all these new vehicles were for OfReg.
No. They only buy theirs brand new, and are not for use in any emergency.
Emergency lunch run to Wellies next door!
OK. I’ll concede that one.
They could be used for the vaccine roll out.
Haha, well said. You are probably right.