It is not every day that the help of civilians is required to assist the Barbados Fire Service (BFS) with their duties.
Nor is it common practice for fire officers to put their own lives on the line and descend into wells over 200 feet to retrieve a body and bring closure to a grieving family.
But, for the nine fire officers and two civilians, their selfless acts of bravery and service to the public on March 11 and July 23, did not go unnoticed by the high command of the BFS.
A nine-member team of fire officers received commendation for their commitment to bringing a sense of closure to a grieving family by recovering the body of their relative from a 200-foot well on July 23.
They were Fire Officers Andre Mapp; Shimon Boyce; Karl Brathwaite; Dillon Turton; David Vaughan; Auxiliary Fire Officer, Matthew Hackett; acting Sub Officers Ryan Glasglow; Kelan McCalla; and acting Divisional Officer, Wayne Vaughan.
Meanwhile, Barbados National Oil Company employees Alvin Simpson and Damian Harewood, were recognised for rendering assistance to the BFS in bringing a difficult fire at the Woodbourne, St. Philip facility under control on March 11.
Each of the 11 persons recognised received certificates of commendation during a brief ceremony at the BFS headquarters, recently.
Speaking during a recognition ceremony, Chief Fire Officer, Errol Maynard, commended the fire officers and their Commanding Officer for their selfless dedication to serving the needs of the public.
He also lauded Assistant Superintendent of Police, Frederick Catwell, from the Northern Division of The Barbados Police Service, for the leadership of his team on July 23.
“Very often fire officers don’t get the credit and recognition that is deserved. We need to cultivate a culture of acknowledging the work and achievements of our workers and our people,” Mr. Maynard said.
He added that it was not enough to say “that is his or her job”, and suggested that a “pat on the back” or kind words went a long way in letting workers know they were appreciated.
“We need to find creative methods to show appreciation to our staff who usually go beyond the call of duty to serve our customers,” the Fire Chief pointed out.
Mr. Maynard acknowledged the team of fire officers who brought closure to a grieving family, and saluted Fire Officers Matthew Hackett and Andre Mapp for descending in the well which was over 300-feet deep to recover the body.
Praise was also showered on BNOCL employees Mr. Harewood and Mr. Simpson, for their commitment and altruism in placing the wellbeing of the Fire Officers and the community first, and rendering the necessary assistance. For that we commend you,” he stressed.
Following the ceremony, Fire Officers Mapp and Hackett, said what started off as a “normal morning” changed after receiving the call about a suspected body in the well on July 23.
“Usually the [Barbados] Fire Service does not recover bodies. [But], we could not stay there and watch the families grieve. So, Hackett and I went down. Hackett went down first as the EMT to ensure there were no signs of life and I followed,” explained Mr. Mapp.
He added that the process of retrieving the body lasted 45 minutes during which time they had to put their fears aside, remember their training, and focus on the task at hand.
Meanwhile, the story for the two civilians who rendered assistance to the BFS during a fire at their workplace on March 11, was somewhat different.
Mr. Harewood explained that he was at home when he received a call between 2:30 and 3:00 a.m. about the fire at BNOCL. He immediately went to his workplace and saw the fire raging.
However, he noted that “there was not a lot of water”, and soon after his colleague Mr. Simpson arrived after passing the area and seeing the smoke while en route to another location.
He used the backhoe to spread out the panels and assist the BFS in bringing the fire under control before the sun rose that day.
“I saw the fire trucks and decided to pull in to see what was going on. After I came to the compound [and] saw others on scene, I wanted to see where I could help,” he said.
He recalled that the process took a while because the fire was intense, and the panels had to be spread out and allowed to cool.
During an interview, the duo said they felt good to be recognised. “You don’t see it happening too much now. It is good that people could recognise good deeds all around. It would help to build morale in the country. God is still working,” Mr. Simpson stated.