Hanover firefighters pleased with Fire Safety Week activities
Published:Monday | November 4, 2024 | 12:06 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
Ahead of the close of Fire, Life and Safety Awareness Week on Saturday, personnel at the Hanover branch of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) were seemingly pleased with what they had achieved through their public educational activities.
Last Thursday, they visited the Lucea Transport Centre, in the parish capital, where they interacted with transport operators and pedestrians, providing them with valuable information on the ways to avoid the occurrence of unwanted fires, and how to put them out when they occur.
According to Sergeant Shawn Anderson, Thursday’s activities were among the many public education activities that the JFB personnel embarked on during the week, which started on October 27, and was observed under the theme ‘Embracing Digital Innovation to Improve Fire Safety’.
“We are trying to spread more awareness about the dangers of fires as it relates to the public passenger vehicle operators and the travelling public, also the importance of fire extinguishers,” said Anderson. “It is our plan to have some simulation exercises, where persons will get the chance to physically use a fire extinguisher.”
Yesterday, Anderson said the firefighters did an electric vehicle (EV) fire sensitisation programme at service stations between the towns of Hopewell in the eastern end of the parish and Orange Bay on the western side.
“These [EVs] are vehicles that are coming into the island, so while they are on their way coming, we want to make persons aware of how to deal with the safety in relation to these vehicles,” added Anderson.
According to Anderson, the week had been quite hectic for the fire personnel, who started it with a church service and had been quite busy since with daily educational sessions with visits to various communities.
“On Monday, we visited several communities across the parish, and did community sensitisation sessions. Also, on Tuesday and Wednesday, we did fire drills at several schools, agencies and offices across the parish,” said Anderson, who noted that after the awareness week, the community engagement and promoting of fire safety measures will continue.
In general, the transport operators were quite receptive to the firefighters and were seemingly impressed with the information they were being given.
“The message is very refreshing and a think they should do this more often” one transport operator told The Gleaner.
“Because of [the] demonstration I saw with the use of a fire extinguisher, I will be getting one for my minibus this week,” the transport operator said. “I have visited the booth set up by the fire personnel, and I am now enlightened as to what I should do if there is a fire.”