30 St. James Residents Trained as Fire Warden
By: , October 31, 2015The Key Point:
Photo: Glenis A. Rose
Senior Superintendent for the St. James Fire Department, Dolfin Doeman (right), and General Manager of the Spanish Jamaican Foundation (SJF), Karen Donaldson (stooping front), share a moment with some of the 30 new fire wardens from Cambridge and surrounding communities in St. James, who were presented with their certificates during a ceremony held at the Cambridge Gospel Chapel on October 27.The Facts
- The community volunteers successfully completed a course in the proper management of fires, conducted by the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), through funding from the Spanish Jamaica Foundation (SJF).
- The JFB is observing Fire Safety Awareness Week from October 25-31 under the theme: ‘Impacting the Communities for Fire Safety’.
The Full Story
Thirty residents of Cambridge and surrounding areas in Southern St. James have been trained and certified as fire wardens.
The community volunteers successfully completed a course in the proper management of fires, conducted by the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), through funding from the Spanish Jamaica Foundation (SJF).
In addition to increasing fire safety knowledge among community members, the wardens will serve as the first line of defence against any occurrence of fire, until firefighters arrive on the scene.
Senior Deputy Superintendent of the JFB, Emeleo Ebanks, in his address at the presentation of certificates held on October 27 at the Cambridge Gospel Chapel, congratulated the new fire wardens and urged them to take their role seriously.
He said that there has been a significant increase in fires this year primarily due to drought conditions.
“It has been proven that training such as this one is very important. This year, the Fire Prevention Division of the Jamaica Fire Brigade has decided to zero in on the environmental aspects of fire prevention, therefore I emphasise that we take the training very seriously,” he said.
He also urged them to work to build a culture of fire safety in their respective areas, and report any activity that puts life at risk.
“If you see something happening next door that will put your life at risk from a fire, don’t be afraid to call the fire station and inform, because the life you save might be your own,” he said.
General Manager of the SJF, Karen Donaldson, commended the graduates for their dedication to their fellow citizens and also to community service in general.
“Today, we commend and congratulate the community members for being certified as fire wardens and are confident that the level of training you have received … will play a critical role in reducing the risk of threats and fire-related disasters,” she said.
The training was conducted under the Fire Safety Awareness project launched in 2014 through $500,000 in funding from the SJF. The project aims to train and certify citizens from five communities in St. James as fire wardens. The SJF has also made donations of fire safety equipment.
The JFB is observing Fire Safety Awareness Week from October 25-31 under the theme: ‘Impacting the Communities for Fire Safety’.