The Jamaica Fireplace Brigade (JFB) has expanded its fire-safety initiative to incorporate excessive faculties throughout the island.
Constructing on the Fireplace Wardens Membership in Colleges programme, the JFB is now coaching high-school college students to function Fireplace-Security Wardens, empowering them with the talents to guide and reply to emergencies.
“Now we have now gone into the excessive faculties. We had been targeted closely on the first faculties however we are actually within the excessive faculties, and what we’re doing [is] just a little bit completely different from what we’re doing within the main faculties. We’re not launching golf equipment within the excessive faculties, we’re coaching security screens or fire-safety wardens as we typically consult with them,” mentioned Commissioner, JFB, Stewart Beckford, throughout an interview with JIS Information.
He famous that going into excessive faculties, the JFB has entry to mature college students, who can play a major function in helping with any emergency that will happen throughout the area.
“Whether or not it’s an earthquake or hearth, God forbid, then they may be capable of take cost and evacuate the scholars from the varsity, get them to the meeting level, do the count-off, ensure that all people is accounted for and so forth,” Commissioner Beckford defined.
The scholars are additionally taught how you can use a fireplace extinguisher.
“We anticipate them to take no matter information they achieve from these coaching workout routines dwelling and impart that to their dad and mom [and] to their neighborhood members,” the Fireplace Chief added.
Commissioner Beckford knowledgeable that on the finish of 2024, over 200 college students throughout 10 excessive faculties had been skilled.
“We additionally skilled [and certified] 50 Deans of Self-discipline final yr as security screens, as a result of they’ve a vital function to play within the faculty. So, we’re working by them to get the message out,” Mr. Beckford added.
He additional indicated that for this yr, the intention is to get into as many faculties as potential.
“We’re at the moment within the Company Space – Kingston and St. Andrew (KSA) – as a result of a whole lot of faculties are concentrated on this space and that is the place we see a lot of the fires going down,” mentioned the Commissioner.
He identified that whereas St. Catherine is essentially the most lively parish when it comes to fires and has taken over from KSA within the final three years, the Company Space has been the location of extra consequential fires with vital losses.
By rising the variety of skilled fire-safety wardens in excessive faculties, the JFB hopes to construct capability for managing these emergencies successfully.
The initiative is being finished in partnership with the Ministry of Schooling, Youth, Abilities and Data.
