Ocho Rios Fire Station being renamed in honour of late firefighter
Published:Monday | January 30, 2023 | 8:47 AM
The Ocho Rios Fire Station in St Ann is to be renamed in honour of late firefighter Lorenzo Garnet Douse who was based at that location.
The station's name will be formally changed to the Ocho Rios Fire Lorenzo Garnet Douse Memorial Building.
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Desmond McKenzie, made the announcement during the funeral for the 25-year-old firefighter at Moneague College in the parish on Saturday.
Douse met an untimely demise while on duty on November 30, 2022, when he was struck by a motor vehicle that overtook a line of traffic and slammed into the back of a fire truck parked in the vicinity of the Reynolds Pier in Ocho Rios.
McKenzie said the Ministry will be making every effort to preserve the name of the “hardworking” young man, who dedicated years of service to the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB).
“I want to also announce the Lorenzo Garnet Douse Scholarship Fund that will be established to assist young firefighters, aged 18 to 25, to advance in their training,” the Minister further informed.
“This is our [Government] contribution to the preservation of his name. I know that his family and friends will always keep him alive in their hearts and in their memories,” he added.
Meanwhile, McKenzie is urging motorists to exercise greater discipline on the roadways.
He indicated that the JFB has responded to over 1,000 motor vehicle crashes across the island, pointing out that the level of indiscipline on the roads continues to be a major concern.
“Let us use the death of [this] young man to say to ourselves… 'life is precious'. This is a man who could have gone on to be the next Commissioner of the JFB. But now, we will never know [because of] one person behind the steering wheel of a motorcar that tried to defy the odds and robbed a young child of a father, [and] robbed the JFB of a young man whose future no one [can] now determine,” McKenzie stated.
For his part, JFB Commissioner, Stewart Beckford, acknowledged the tremendous support received following the passing of Douse.
He said the condolences and unwavering support continue to pour in from across the island, as the nation sympathises with the “untimely demise of firefighter Douse.”
“Your intervention was timely and has proven useful in helping us through this most difficult period,” Beckford added.
- JIS News
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