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Hanover gets innovative with fire-prevention programmes

Published:Friday | October 30, 2020 | 12:07 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

IN A bid to ensure that its message gets to its desired audience, the Hanover division of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) has turned to social media to spread its Fire Awareness Week fire-safety measures to the public.

While at the national level, the JFB is using radio and television programmes, coupled with other advertising media, to bring across its message, Hanover has decided to add an extra dimension, the Internet, through various apps, to reach its audience across the parish.

Following a presentation via the Zoom platform to the Hopewell Community Development Committee (HCDC) earlier this week, presenter Sergeant Shaun Anderson, of the Lucea Fire Station, told The Gleaner that the fire-prevention team based at his station had been making regular presentations to community groups, including teachers from various schools, since the start of Fire Awareness Week, which spans October 25 to 31.

“As the theme of the week states, ‘Being Fire-Safe while Socially Distant,’ we are trying to spread the message of safety using these various platforms because remember, the face-to-face interaction is not being encouraged until we find some way of practising safety while we do so,” said Anderson.

According to Anderson, the fire-prevention team at the Lucea Fire Station, which comprises him, Corporal Lacy Johnson, and Acting District Officer Khalilah Wright-Gray, has been recording short videos and instructional clips containing fire-prevention tips, which they have been sending out to the various groups and individuals via social-media platforms.

“They (the community groups) are quite receptive, but in terms of the impact, we can only reach those who have the platform and have the Internet, so that is also an issue as well. If you do not have Internet, you cannot come online to see what is happening,” said Anderson, who also noted that several community leaders have been contacted and the message sent to them with a request for them to circulate it as much as possible.