Fire Brigade Targets Communities For Fire Safety Week
By: , October 31, 2019The Key Point:
Photo: Rudranath Fraser
Acting Assistant Commissioner and Public Relations Officer, Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), Emeleo Ebanks, hghlights activities for Fire and Life Safety Awareness Week, which is being observed fom October 27 to November 2 under the theme ‘Mek Wi Fix It… Community First’.
Photo: Rudrananth Fraser
Public Relations Officer, Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), Emeleo Ebanks (centre), discusses the JFB’s activities for Fire and Life Safety Week with Assistant Superintendent, Heather Williams (left) and Acting Corporal, Donovan Morgan, at the Brigade’s headquarters in Kingston recently. The week is being observed from October 27 to November 2 under the theme ‘Mek Wi Fix It… Community First’.The Facts
- The week is being observed from October 27 to November 2 under the theme ‘Mek Wi Fix It… Community First’.
- “We are looking for a minimum of 90 communities for this week. If we get to over 100 that is even better. We are looking at twinning community centres and inviting persons from different communities [to these information sessions],” Acting Assistant Commissioner and Public Relations Officer, JFB, Emeleo Ebanks, told JIS News.
The Full Story
The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) will be providing fire safety information to communities across the island during Fire and Life Safety Awareness Week 2019.
The week is being observed from October 27 to November 2 under the theme ‘Mek Wi Fix It… Community First’.
“We are looking for a minimum of 90 communities for this week. If we get to over 100 that is even better. We are looking at twinning community centres and inviting persons from different communities [to these information sessions],” Acting Assistant Commissioner and Public Relations Officer, JFB, Emeleo Ebanks, told JIS News.
He noted that the sessions, which will also be held in schools, involve collaboration with the Social Development Commission (SDC), which has linkages with community clubs, churches, citizens’ associations, among others.
There will also be community walk-throughs, where safety tips will be imparted to residents.
“We’re going to be educating persons as to what to do in the event of a fire. We are looking to roll out in different communities a fix-it kind of a programme where we teach persons what to do to prevent fires, and if there is a fire, we show them how they can assist themselves,” Mr. Ebanks said.
He is advising persons not to wait until a fire is out of control to call the brigade.
“When it gets to that stage it is already too late to be calling. The damage would be [less] if we had gotten that call in the early stages of the fire,” he noted.
The message of adult supervision in the home is one that the JFB continues to push, as upon assessing the 1,197 structural fires recorded between January and September of this year, human error or negligence was found to be the cause of many.
“It is the same thing we have been saying over time – do not leave the children alone at home and we want to add to that, do not leave the elderly alone at home either. You must have a responsible adult there who can make sure that nothing untoward is taking place that will result in fires,” Mr. Ebanks said.
Displays on fire and life safety will be mounted in all 33 fire stations islandwide during the week, and persons are encouraged to visit the nearest facility to view the exhibits.