Firefighters Equipped to Execute Duties

Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) Commissioner, Stewart Beckford, says several activities have been undertaken to safeguard firefighters and adequately equip them to execute their duties.

He told JIS News that 130 sets of bunker gears and 150 pairs of firefighting gloves were procured in 2022.

Bunker gear is the personal protective equipment (PPE) worn by firefighters.

Commissioner Beckford informed that the gears have a lifespan, which is significantly reduced if they are not properly maintained.

“So, what we have embarked on over the last three, or so, financial years is to acquire machines that are equipped and specifically built to launder bunker gears. We… procured two of those last year,” he said, adding that they have since been installed.

The Commissioner further indicated that 13 portable flood lights were among the equipment acquired.

“These are massive lights that we will be able to deploy at emergency scenes. We can take them and set them down wherever the incident is unfolding,” he revealed.

The JFB’s motor-vehicle fleet was also boosted with the addition of seven command vehicles and two box trucks.

The trucks are specifically geared towards assisting the agency in its Hydrants Maintenance Programme, which currently has two teams – one in Montego Bay and the other in Kingston.

“What we want to do is to establish two other additional teams. One will be working out of St. Ann [and] that will cover Area Two, [comprising] St. Mary, Portland, St. Ann and Trelawny. We also want to establish one in Area Three [in] St. Catherine, to take care of… Clarendon and Manchester. So, these two units are geared towards providing transportation to take them around, to have those hydrants repaired and serviced on a regular basis,” Commissioner Beckford further indicated.

During 2022, the JFB repaired 1,056 fire hydrants while 659 were inspected and 352 serviced.