95 Per Cent of Fire Stations Equipped With Generators

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, says that 95 per cent of the island’s fire stations are now equipped with generators.

“We acquired four more in the last financial year at a cost of $33 million, and two more will be installed this year,” the Minister said in his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (June 3).

He informed that by the end of the current financial year, all fire stations in Jamaica will have generators, ensuring they can provide 24-hour service in the event of an emergency.

Minister McKenzie said that the provision of generators is happening alongside the rehabilitation of several stations, which were affected by Hurricane Melissa.

Six fire stations were significantly damaged – Black River in St. Elizabeth; Ironshore, Barnett Street and Marine in St. James; Falmouth in Trelawny; and May Pen in Clarendon.

“The estimated cost to rebuild the infrastructure and to replace lost equipment is just over $1.4 billion,” Minister McKenzie informed.

He told the House that the fire station in Ironshore will be rebuilt in the reconstruction phase of the Hurricane Melissa recovery.

The Minister emphasised that the Government continues to work to improve the service of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), including the training of additional firemen to boost the entity’s capacity.

Ninety-six recruits graduated in May, and another 100 will be trained in the third quarter of this financial year.

Minister McKenzie commended the members of the Brigade for the critical service they provided during the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

He informed that 311 firefighters were operating in nine parishes that were directly affected by the hurricane.

They carried out their duties efficiently, responding to 1,661 calls linked to Hurricane Melissa, between October 28 and December 12, 2025, the Minister said.

“These included 615 fire calls, 116 medical emergency calls, and 864 special service calls. The special service calls ranged from clearing blocked roads, rescuing residents trapped in communities, delivering potable water [and] power washing mud and silt from town centres,” he said.