Prime Minister Commends Agencies Containing Riverton Fire

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, has commended the efforts of stakeholder agencies involved in the fire containment operations at the Riverton City Disposal Site in St. Andrew.

Speaking at a special meeting convened at Jamaica House, where she was updated on activities being undertaken, Mrs. Simpson Miller praised the “collaboration (among) the agencies”, which has resulted in significant containment of the blaze, which has been burning since Wednesday, March 11.

The Prime Minister urged the agencies to continue working assiduously to extinguish the flames, while voicing concern over the adverse and worrying effect which the smoke emanating has been having on persons, particularly children, as also the dislocation of operations at schools and businesses.

In response, Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) Commissioner, Errol Mowatt, advised that consequent on the acquisition of additional equipment, it is anticipated that further progress will be made on Monday (March 16) towards fully extinguishing the fire.

Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) Director General, Major Clive Davis, informed that “positive developments” have taken place with the containment operations, adding that all representatives are working overtime to ensure that normality is restored to activities across the Corporate Area and its environs.

In response, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health, Dr. Marion Bullock-DuCasse, said there were fewer cases of persons with respiratory challenges visiting health facilities for treatment, and assured the Prime Minister that adequate preparations have been made to treat all affected persons.

Representatives of several of the agencies, including the Ministries of Education, and Health, as well as ODPEM and the JFB, are scheduled to brief the Cabinet on the operations, during its weekly meeting, at Jamaica House.