Green Island set to get 31 certified fire safety wardens
Published:Tuesday | October 1, 2024 | 12:09 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
Some 31 youngsters from Green Island in Hanover are poised to become fully certified community fire safety wardens, as they are currently participating in a two-day fire safety workshop, which is a joint venture between the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) Hanover division and the Green Island Police Youth Club (PYC).
The workshop, which is taking place at the Green Island Police Station, had its first day of activities on Sunday will conclude on October 6.
Woman Corporal Evan McIntyre, who leads the Green Island PYC, told The Gleaner that the idea to do the workshop stemmed from a sensitization session that the JFB held with the Green Island PYC members in August.
“It is from that sensitisation drive they (the fire personnel) decided that we can work together and create this workshop where persons can benefit from being certified as community safety wardens,” McIntyre told The Gleaner. “We have approximately 31 young persons in attendance, 19 males and 12 females.”
Khalilah Wright-Gray, district officer at the JFB Hanover division, said the workshop is a part of a national project by the JFB nationally, so the workshop taking place in Hanover is not unique to that parish.
“The objective of the overall training is to facilitate knowledge-based training for the residents within the communities, so that in case there is an emergency, they can assist themselves until the fire department gets there,” said Wright-Gray.
It should be interesting to note that Hanover has only one fire station, which is in Lucea. Whenever there are fires in other sections of the parish, the Hanover firefighters are forced to seek the assistance of their colleagues in St. James and Westmoreland.
“The training workshop is actually one of our community-based programme from which members of the community can earn certificates, indicating that they are trained fire wardens within the community,” noted Wright-Gray.
In outlining some of the subject matter that will be covered during the workshop, Wright-Gray said the training includes both theory and practical.
“We look at different things, we look at basic fire safety standards, the using of fire extinguishers, how to help in caring and maintaining the fire hydrants, and other simple things that they can do to keep the community safe, and mitigate against any possibility of fires,” she said.
“So, if there should be a fire, the community fire wardens should have enough basic knowledge that they can assist themselves, in helping to prevent the situation from getting worst or out of hand, and also be able to utilise preventative measures,” added Wright-Gray.
While noting that the workshop has been staged in other communities in Hanover before, Wright-Gray emphasised that at the end of the current two-day training, all the participants will be fully certified.
According to Wright-Gray, the Hanover division of the JFB is always willing and able to educate persons in basic fire prevention and safety measures and said that community groups that are interested in getting trained can contact the Hanover divisional headquarters.