JFB Commissioner Urges Jamaicans to Heed Evacuation Warnings

Against the background of the threat of adverse weather from Hurricane Beryl, Jamaicans are being urged to heed evacuation warnings and follow safety procedures to save lives.

The call came from Commissioner, Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), Stewart Beckford, as he provided an overview of the JFB’s state of readiness during a meeting with Heads of Agencies responsible for disaster preparedness, members of the Cabinet and other stakeholders at Jamaica House on Monday (July 1).

Jamaica is at risk of experiencing heavy rainfall as the system moves closer to the country, as well as strong winds, storm surges and landslides.

“If you get the order to evacuate, please leave immediately. One thing I will not do… is to commit our firefighters in harm’s way where the risk far outweighs the benefit. They too have families that they have to protect. So I call on our fellow Jamaicans, please when the warnings are put out, heed those warnings,” Mr. Beckford said.

He reminded Jamaicans to use candles properly during the weather system, noting that unsafe use may result in fires.

“It’s not farfetched that during the passage of the hurricane, we may have fires. Regrettably, there is going to be power outage… and so we may have persons who may resort to candles; they are cheap, and they are easily available,” the Commissioner noted.

“We have seen in the past where fires would have occurred as a result of persons using candles, not in a safe manner. So we want to encourage our householders, if you have to use candles, make sure that you put them in a solid container and put some water at the base. If it burns down, it will extinguish itself. Keep them away from curtains, drapes and tablecloths if you do have those,” he said.

Mr. Beckford also urges persons with standby generators to adhere to the guidelines when operating these machines.

“Some of us may be in a position where we have a standby generator at home. Again, I will caution us in terms of how we use those. Carbon monoxide poisoning is very dangerous. You don’t smell it, you can’t see it, but we are going to ask that if you’re using your generator, keep them at least 25 feet away from your house. Don’t have them inside, and when you do put them outside, make sure the exhaust system is turned away from windows and doors, so as not to allow the fumes to come back inside,” he said.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Beckford said the JFB has enacted its hurricane response plan.

“We have been doing our preparations since the start of the year. We are not unfamiliar with responding to adverse weather events. We would have enacted our hurricane response plan, which includes that we have adequate resources at our disposal,” he informed.

The Commissioner said persons may be called off leave to support the response of the Brigade.

“In terms of human resources, we have just over 2,100 members of staff. A few are on vacation leave and other leave. But if the need arises and we need to have extra manpower, then we will recall those persons,” he pointed out.

Mr. Beckford said the JFB team is prepared and ready to respond. “In terms of medical supplies, we operate an Emergency Medical Services (EMS), which may be called into operation during or after the onset of the hurricane, and we are prepared to respond to those emergencies as well,” he said.