Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says a preliminary estimate of the damage caused islandwide by torrential rains during the passage of tropical storm Grace on August 17, puts the cost at approximately $171 million. This, Mr. Holness said, was based on assessments conducted by the National Works Agency (NWA). He was speaking during a digital press conference at...

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) is reminding the public to keep the contact numbers for emergency service providers close and to become familiar with their local fire stations. “I want to remind Jamaicans, you must have certain emergency numbers directly at your fingertips and when we speak of fingertips, we mean mobile calling devices. You must have a number for...

Director of the Meteorological Service Branch (Met Service), Evan Thompson, is urging Jamaicans to remain vigilant, as the Caribbean enters the peak of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. “We are still in the middle of the hurricane season, and anything could develop at any time. So, it is important that all our residents pay special attention to information as soon...

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Hon. Desmond McKenzie has announced the launch of a special assistance fund for the Republic of Haiti. “The people of Haiti are continuing to experience a torrid time as the forces of nature have been unleashed on the country, first, with the recent, massive earthquake and now, the heavy rains associated with Tropical...

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) received a total of 10,209 genuine fire calls for 2020, which is an increase of 131 relative to the previous year. As contained in the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) 2020 Economic and Social Survey, similar to 2019, the largest number of genuine fire calls occurred in Kingston and St. Andrew (1945) followed by St....

When one hears the name ‘Jamaica Fire Brigade’ (JFB), the first thought is of firefighters putting out blazes, but the entity is reminding the public that it also responds to non-fire related incidents including medical emergencies and rescue. JFB’s Public Relations Officer, Emeleo Ebanks, told JIS News that the brigade offers ambulance services for medical and trauma cases. “For January...

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, says that no permits have been approved for the staging of entertainment events. “The Municipal Corporations and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) cut off accepting and considering applications from the 9th of this month,” he indicated. “So, there is no approval for any event of any...