Minister Mckenzie Hails JFB For Swift Response To Corporate Area Fires

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, has commended the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) for the swift and effective response to two major fires in the Corporate Area earlier this week.

These were at the Pearnel Charles Arcade downtown and the Azan Supercentre warehouse located off Marcus Garvey Drive.

“This week has been a busy week for the JFB and it is because of the improvement in service and efficiency that they were able to respond in a meaningful way,” Minister McKenzie said.

He was addressing the opening ceremony of the ‘Local Government Expo’ held at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston on Wednesday (Nov. 20).

The Minister noted that having the necessary resources, including trucks, played a significant role in how quickly the Brigade was able to respond to the emergencies.

He said that the fire at the Pearnel Charles Arcade underscores the shared concerns within local government about fire safety in markets.

“Within the last year, we have experienced more than seven major fires in markets across the country; 99 per cent of those fires were because of electrical short circuit,” he pointed out.

The Minister urged municipal corporations to make every effort to rid markets of illegal electricity connections.

The Expo, organised as part of activities for Local Government and Community Month 2024 in November, provided an opportunity for the Ministry, its agencies and municipal corporations to engage with citizens and raise awareness about local governance.