The Barbados Fire Service (BFS) is recording successes in its preventative strategies being employed across the country.
Chief Fire Officer, Errol Maynard, disclosed that the number of structural fires officers responded to for the period January 1 to November 3, 2023, stood at 54, compared with 66 for the same period last year.
“This achievement is a testimony to the hard work, perseverance, and collaboration of our fire fighters, senior officers and support staff,” he said.
Speaking during the 41st Passing Out Parade for recruits at the Barbados Fire Academy recently, Mr. Maynard noted that prevention and mitigation had become the cornerstone of the BFS’s approach under its transformation and rebranding efforts.
“We understand while responding swiftly and effectively to an emergency and crisis, our true strength lies in the proactive measures that we put in place – prevention and mitigation,” the Fire Chief stated.
However, he noted that grass and rubbish fires continue to pose a problem, but stated that the service was on a trajectory to also reduce those numbers.
“We are driven by a relentless pursuit of excellence. We will continue to strengthen our preventative measures, enhance our training programmes, and embrace cutting edge technology to ensure that we are always one step ahead of the challenges we face,” Mr. Maynard affirmed.
The Chief Fire Officer urged members of the public to make safety a central part of what they do daily, including driving to stay alive.
He also noted that the BFS will receive specialised equipment to manage electric and hybrid vehicles incidents soon, and have a new and repurposed website early in the new year.
Once completed, he explained, the public would be able to conduct all their transactions online without having to visit the BFS’s headquarters.
Meanwhile, Station Officer, Damien Bayne, in delivering the training officer’s report, said the 14 recruits successfully completed training in a number of areas, including the Fire Fighter 1 and 2 programme; the Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) programme, facilitated through the Barbados Community College; Safety of Life at Sea; Public Speaking, and Physical Training.
In addition, they received training in ropes, knots, ladders, vehicle extrication and fire dynamics. Patrice Alleyne received the most awards for the evening, after capturing prizes for Best Recruit, Most Disciplined, the Physical Fitness Award and Fitness Challenge Shield, Most Outstanding Student EMT, and Best at Theory.