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St. Thomas Fire Department Bothered by False Calls

October 11, 2003

The Full Story

The St. Thomas Fire Department is appealing to residents of the parish to desist from making false fire calls.
Louiston Gooden, Deputy Superintendent of the Fire Department, told JIS News that units in Morant Bay and Yallahs responded to seven false calls between September 1 and October 6, utilizing some eight gallons of gasoline from travelling some 129 kilometres to districts such as New Pera, Pamphret, Lyssons, Dalvey and Pond Side.
“It is costly, gasoline is wasted, along with wear and tear of the units and the men are exposed to danger, and that is the most serious part of it,” he stated. He also pointed out, that property and lives could be lost, if there was a real fire or an emergency situation, while the units were responding to false calls.
Despite the difficulty, the Superintendent said the firefighters remained committed to their jobs and the Department would respond to every call for assistance. He however warned, that persons could be prosecuted if found guilty of this practice, adding that some calls have been traced and persons warned by the police.
Meanwhile, the Department would be sensitizing the public about how to prevent fires during Fire Safety Week to be observed from October 26 to November 1.
Superintendent Gooden said officers would be visiting schools, clubs and churches to gave talks, demonstrations, and to inform the public about how to minimize the risks of fires and other emergencies.
“People do not realize the importance of the Fire Brigade and the work that we have to do and if they knew, then they would be more careful,” he reasoned.
The week of activities will kick off with a motorcade through the main streets of Morant Bay on Monday, October 27. The motorcade will leave from the front of the parish’s infirmary at 8: 30 a.m. and travel a number of streets before ending at the Fire Station where the week of activities will be launched. The ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the station’s auditorium. Representatives from various government and private sector agencies as well as students from nearby schools are expected to attend.
In addition, exhibitions lighting the work of the Department will be mounted at the St. Thomas Parish Library and the St. Thomas Co-operative Credit Union.

Last Updated: October 11, 2003

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