The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) is reporting a noticeable reduction in the number of motor-vehicle crashes responded to in 2025, while renewing its call for motorists to exercise greater caution on the nation’s roadways. Speaking with JIS News recently, Commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Stewart Beckford, said that the Brigade responded to 947 motor-vehicle crashes in 2025, a reduction...

President of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jason Russell, says despite the significant damage caused by Hurricane Melissa, the city is recovering remarkably, with the majority of businesses now operational. “If you look at business here in Montego Bay, you would think it’s very slow, you’d think everything’s not where it should be or where it used...

The Government is moving to construct a new infirmary in St. Ann, aimed at relocating vulnerable residents from the risky coastline to a safer inland location. Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, announced the plan during a tour of the facility on Friday (January 30). He noted that he intends to submit a proposal to Cabinet...

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) has reported a mixed trend in structural fires across the island for 2025, with commercial building fires showing a marginal increase, while residential fires recorded a slight decline. Commissioner, JFB, Stewart Beckford, told JIS News that of the 11,048 genuine fire calls received last year, 1,555 or 14 per cent were structural fires. “We responded...

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has informed that inflows from the US$6.7 billion in development financing, designed to support Jamaica’s recovery from Hurricane Melissa, will be channelled through the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA). The US$6.7 billion is being provided through CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Inter-American...

Bushfires remained a major challenge in 2025, with the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) reporting a 26.2 per cent increase in incidents across the island. “We have seen, over time, maybe over the last four years, bushfires remaining at a consistently high level. Last year, we responded to 5,710 such incidents, and that’s a 26.2 per cent increase over the previous...

The Earthquake Unit is seeking to dispel the common myth that hot temperatures or weather conditions cause earthquakes as the country prepares to close out Earthquake Awareness Month at the end of January. Addressing a recent JIS Think Tank, on Earthquake Awareness, Scientific Officer at the Earthquake Unit, Karleen Black, said seismic activity originates deep within the Earth’s crust and...