Better Working Conditions For Fire Service

Attorney-General and Minister of Home Affairs, Freundel Stuart is pledging that the Government will do all in its power to give firefighters the best working environment.

He gave this assurance at a service yesterday to celebrate the 53rd anniversary of the Barbados Fire Service (BFS) at the St Lucy Parish Church.

Stuart said efforts were underway to improve the physical conditions where fire officers worked and the terms and conditions of their services. He pointed to the renovation of the Airport Fire Station as an example.

"They are an arm of our essential services which play a critical role in disaster management. . . . They have served this country notably [while] being content with modest rewards while serving the country."

Meanwhile acting chief fire officer Anthony Blackman revealed that as of August this year, there have been 76 house fires, 34 commercial buildings blazes, 62 vehicle fires, 1377 grass fires and 173 cane fires.

He said with the establishment of the Fire Prevention Unit, the BFS has intensified its efforts throughout the country with educational outreach programmes.

"We have gone into residential and business communities promoting the benefits of fire safety in order to reduce many of the incidents."

While stressing that little or no attention was sometimes paid to the elderly, the less fortunate, vulnerable and incapacitated, Blackman said a programme was designed to offer some protection for them until help arrives in the event of a fire.

There is a Smoke Detector Programme, carried out in conjunction with the Barbados National Organisation for the Disabled, where the devices are installed in homes.

The BFS theme this year is a Safer and Healthier Community for All. (KB)

Source: www.nationnews.com

Barbados Fire Service Celebrates 53 Years

The Barbados Fire Service (BFS) will be celebrating 53 years with its annual Week of Activities commencing with a Thanksgiving Service at the St. Lucy Parish Church on Sunday, September 28, 2008.

During the week, the Fire Service has planned a number of events and is throwing open its doors to public visits at its Probyn Street headquarters, the Worthing, St. James and St. John fire stations.

An invitation is also extended to Barbadians to participate in the health extravaganza at headquarters fire station, Probyn Street on Monday, September 29 from 10:00 a.m. Members of the public will be able to get their blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar tested during this event.

The week climaxes with a family fire fair on Saturday, October 4 from 12:00 noon at headquarters. This event will feature special fire-fighting video presentations, tours of the fire station, jumping tent, lucky dip, face painting and the new rescue tender showing off multi-faceted extrication equipment.

19 Firefighters Complete HazMat Programme

Nineteen officers from the Barbados Fire Service and two paramedics from the Emergency Ambulance Service completed the Hazardous Materials (HazMat Level 2) training programme on Friday. The training course is a collaborative venture between the Barbados Fire Service, the Barbados Community College and Hillsborough Community College in the United States.

The course provided the participants with the opportunity to further develop themselves by exposing them to the latest techniques as they relate to Hazardous Materials incidents.

The closing ceremony was held at the Barbados Community College and was attended by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs Lucene Wharton-Isaacs, acting Deputy Principal of the Barbados Community College Dr. Sylvia Hackett, Retired Battalion Chief & Training Instructor Lawrence Rogers, acting Chief Fire Officer Anthony Blackman and other officials from the Barbados Fire Service.