Island-wide Activities to Mark Fire and Life Safety Awareness Week

Members of the public are invited to participate in a slate of activities for Fire and Life Safety Awareness Week 2022. 

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) is commemorating the week with island-wide events from October 23 through to the 29, commencing with a church service at the Waterloo Apostolic Church in St. Elizabeth on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. 

“Persons can join us on social media if you can’t be there in person. You can join us on Facebook via ‘Jamaica Fire Brigade’ and Instagram @jamaicafirebrigade. Both platforms will be going live for the service and for the rest of the week’s activities we will be posting and going live every day,” said Senior Deputy Superintendent and Public Relations Officer of the JFB, Emeleo Ebanks. 

He was speaking at a JIS Think Tank on October 20 where he shared the activities for the week. 

The brigade will be visiting all infirmaries across the island, conducting fire drills, developing evacuation plans and training fire wardens at the facilities.  

Additionally, firefighters will be engaging with various entities to impart the message of fire and life safety. 

The JFB will partner with the Portmore Self-Help Disability Organisation on October 25 to assist persons with disabilities to identify dangers in their surroundings.  

This includes ensuring that facilities associated with the organisation are fire-safe and that members know what to do in the event of a fire. 

On October 26, the JFB will be visiting two entities in Manchester – the Hanbury Children’s Home and the  Allibecca Villa Retirement Home.  

“They have asked us to come in to help them to plan their emergency evacuation exercise. They don’t have a plan in place so will be walking them through each stage of the plan, what to do in the event of an emergency and most importantly, how to prevent fires,” Mr. Ebanks shared. 

The service offerings and capability of the JFB will be showcased at an open day in St. James on October 26, where persons can learn about the various divisions and types of emergencies to which the brigade responds. 

“We invite the public to come in on that day. There will be blood pressure testing, blood sugar testing and general health and wellness checks, not just for our firefighters but members of the public,” Mr. Ebanks noted. 

Activities will continue on October 27 with training and public education activities at the Lucea Health Centre, and a senior citizens’ symposium for nursing homes in Portland on October 28. 

Also on October 28,  members of the JFB will spend the day at the Jamaica National Children’s Home, where renovation will be undertaken at the facility and fire safety paraphernalia provided. A fire drill will also be conducted with the children and caregivers. 

For a complete list of all activities by parish, visit the Jamaica Fire Brigade’s Facebook and Instagram pages @jamaicafirebrigade.