Omar Frith has been appointed Executive Director of the Social Development Commission (SDC). His appointment, effective January 28, follows the departure of Dr. Dwayne Vernon, who demitted office on January 27 after serving the SDC for more than two decades, including 13 years at the helm. Mr. Frith previously served as the SDC’s Deputy Executive Director for eight years, during...

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) is urging motorists to exercise greater caution on the nation’s roadways. This follows a revelation of a slight increase in the number of motor-vehicle crashes the JFB responded to last year, when compared to 2023. Speaking at a JIS Think Tank on January 23, Commissioner of the JFB, Stewart Beckford, said the entity responded to...

A noticeable decrease in commercial building fires has highlighted the success of intensified fire-safety and prevention initiatives undertaken by the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) throughout 2024. Speaking at a recent JIS Think Tank, JFB Commissioner, Stewart Beckford, informed that there was a 16 per cent reduction in the number of commercial building fires when compared to 2023. “The reduction can...

Jamaica recorded a 15.6 per cent reduction in fire-related deaths last year. This was revealed by Commissioner, Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), Stewart Beckford, during a recent JIS Think Tank, where he shared details of the Brigade’s Emergency Response and Fire Prevention Data for 2024. “The number of fire-related deaths for the period under review was 27, comprising 23 adults and...

More young people in St. James are being encouraged to apply for grant funding, which is available under the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund Project, to execute climate-resilient initiatives in their communities. The invitation was extended by Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, during a special ceremony on Tuesday (January 21) to recognise young climate activists in the parish...

National Water Commission (NWC) customers in St. Thomas are to benefit from a series of community meetings, commencing this week, as the entity promotes its ongoing amnesty programme. Customer Relations Manager at the NWC’s St. Thomas parish office, Calvert Harrison, told JIS News that the meetings are intended to boost take-up of the initiative across the eastern parish. Through the...

The Ministry of National Security’s (MNS) Case Management Strategy Programme is being hailed as a transformational violence prevention and social intervention tool. This initiative represents a departure from using the physical presence of law enforcement in communities impacted by crime and violence as a primary deterrent and, instead, delving deeper into the root causes and creating specific strategies to rectify...