Jamaica Fire Brigade Gets Funding For Education Programme

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) has received 70,000 Pounds Sterling (J$12.6 million) from the British High Commission, to fund its Community Bush Fire Management Education Programme.

“We will be using this money to educate people of other options apart from burning, and reduce the occurrence of bush fires,” said Assistant Commissioner of the  JFB, Sean Martin, at the launch of the programme, held at  the York Park Fire Station, on Orange Street, in Kingston, on November 30.

Mr. Martin pointed out that the assistance is timely, as it will enable the JFB to address a serious problem that affects the socio-economic livelihood of many families.

He informed that the three-month programme will commence with the training of  firefighters in another two weeks, to be followed by residents from the Mavis Bank community in January, where there has been a significant increase in bush fires.

“Once we educate the people in the participating communities, we believe there will be a reduction in fires and fire-related losses. The programme will even help to reduce psychological trauma people experience after losing their life’s work in a fire,” Mr. Martin said.

He pointed out that the JFB will be using the opportunity to not only train community members, but also form partnerships with them and  design and implement the fire safety programmes that will encourage maximum community participation.

“We know the setback a fire can cause a family and the JFB wants to reassure Jamaica that it is working to minimise the impact, especially in upper St. Andrew, Mavis Bank and St. Elizabeth, which are the pilot communities to take part in the education programme,” Mr. Martin said.

He noted that the programme will take a multi-agency approach that will include other agencies, such as the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) and the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), among others.

Meanwhile, State Minister in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Colin Fagan, requested that the Social Development Commission (SDC) get involved in the programme.

“The SDC has responsibility for community development and will be able to help the JFB execute some of the training programmes, based on the relationships the Commission has forged in the communities,” he added.

Mr. Fagan applauded the JFB for the routine maintenance of over 1,200 hydrants, for repairing 280 hydrants and installing about 75 new ones in several parishes.

He said the firemen and women have worked very hard and have produced results, even with limited resources, so the partnership between the High Commission and the JFB should bear good fruit.