As the February 26 Local Government Elections approach, the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) is reminding employers that workers are entitled time off to vote. Director of Elections, Glasspole Brown, told JIS News that under the law, every employer is required to permit employees who intend to vote, three hours to do so. This is in addition to the usual...

Commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), Stewart Beckford, says there has been a noticeable reduction in the number of complaints from citizens regarding the Brigade’s response time. He noted that the acquisition of new fire units has increased the JFB’s capacity and response to emergencies. “We procured and received 30 brand-new fire trucks in 2021, and those would have...

Work will continue during fiscal year 2024/25 to upgrade Jamaica’s emergency communication system. The Government has budgeted $1.3 billion to continue initiatives under the ‘Improvement of Emergency Communication System in Jamaica’ Project. This engagement aims to develop a national emergency communication system to coordinate incident response among key government agencies and volunteers. Details of the project are outlined in the...

The Government will be purchasing another 50 compactor trucks in the 2024/25 fiscal year to improve garbage collection islandwide. A sum of $916 million has been budgeted for the acquisition, which represents the second consignment of units for the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NWSMA) to bolster the operations of the entity. An initial batch of 50 new trucks were...

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) has reported that for calendar year 2023, there was a 20.8 per cent increase in the number of fires resulting from motor-vehicle crashes when compared to 2022. At the end of last year, the JFB responded to 453 calls for motor-vehicle fires, up from 375 the previous year. Motor-vehicle accidents increased from 1,079 in 2022...

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) has reported a 21.1 per cent increase in the number of commercial-building fires responded to in 2023, when compared to the previous year. Commercial-building fires are among the types of structural fires the JFB responds to in the execution of its duties. Last year, they responded to 1,645 structural fires, which included 343 commercial fires,...

Prime Minister the Most. Hon. Andrew Holness ({second left) receives a framed photograph from President and Chief Executive Officer, Sagicor Group Jamaica, Christopher Zacca (right) at the 26th staging of the Sagicor Sigma ‘Honour’ Run in Kington on Sunday (February 18). Others (from left) are Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton; and Chairman, Sagicor Group Jamaica...