Hanover firefighters save over $36 billion in property value in 2023 – report

WESTERN BUREAU:

Drought conditions and medical emergencies, several of which were motor vehicle accidents, kept the Hanover Division of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) relatively busy throughout 2023.

Their quick action and professionalism resulted in several lives spared, and over $36 billion in property value saved.

Terri-Ann Leslie, divisional head for the JFB in Hanover, tabled a report in the January monthly meeting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC), outlining that an estimated $47 billion worth of property was at risk of fires during the year 2023. She noted that this resulted in losses amounting to approximately $306,245,000.00, over the period.

“The months of January, and March (2023) we saw a spike in the overall number of fire calls that we responded to, which was as a result of the increase in bush fires across the parish,” she noted.

She said that due to drought conditions during those months, bush fires were a common phenomenon across the island.

Leslie, who has been in charge of the division since November 2023, noted that the fire station in the Hanover parish capital, Lucea, received some 1,451 calls during the year 2023.

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Of these, 563, or 38 per cent were attended to by the fire suppression team at the Lucea station. Bush fires represented 48 per cent of those calls that needed the fire suppression team, she noted.

“During the year 888, or 61 .2 per cent of calls received were medical emergencies, which had to be attended to by our Emergency Medical Service (EMS) team,” she pointed out.

With specific reference to the month of December 2023, Superintendent Leslie said that some 16 genuine fire calls were received in the division for the period, 13 of which were bush fires, one garbage fire and one commercial building.

“Emergency Medical Service during the period responded to 88, with the breakdown as follows, 73 medical emergencies, four trauma, one Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and 10 Motorbikes or Motor Vehicle accidents,” she said.

She noted that several educational and fire prevention exercises were carried out during December involving Lectures, Fire Drills Safety Monitor Training, Tours of Special risk areas, and interactions with the public.

“These were done by the fire prevention section of the brigade, with a view to meeting the strategic focus and objectives of the brigade, so that they can increase public awareness and access to fire prevention information,” she informed.

She issued a call for more collaboration between the various agencies, organisations and individuals within the parish of Hanover and the JFB Hanover Division, to support fire prevention, protection and safety of the residents and visitors to the parish.