Vacancies opening up in Jamaica Fire Brigade
Published:Friday | July 16, 2021 | 12:08 AMLeon Jackson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
With some new facilities slated to be created, the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) is now embarking on a recruitment drive to fill openings which are expected to be created by the end of 2021.
JFB Commissioner Stewart Beckford said new facilities are poised to come on stream in Trelawny and St Ann, and gaps created by persons leaving the services need to be filled.
“There is a new fire station to be built in Ulster Spring, Trelawny, by the end of this year. Along with this one, two other sites are to be established in St Ann,” said Beckford. “We do not have enough among our cadre of officers to man these sites.
“Over the last three years, we have lost over 200 firefighters. Twelve have retired while others have resigned and some have just abandoned the job. They go on vacation abroad and do not return,” the commissioner added.
Persons desirous of joining the fire service must be between 18 and 28 years old and must have four Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate subjects, including mathematics and English.
According to Beckford, the modern firefighter is not just one who puts out a fire but one who is expected to offer a range of emergency services.
“The training is now broadened to include an Emergency Medical Service Section (EMS). This section works with the Ministry of Health and officers are exposed to basic medical procedures.
“We train our officers in ‘what if scenarios ‘… thinking about disasters, the officers are trained to participate in swift and dead water rescue,” said Beckford.
Drawing reference to a recent incident in Clarendon where a firefighter used his swift water training to rescue a man who was being washed away by floodwaters, the commissioner said he was quite pleased with how the fireman utilised his training.
“Fire officer Sherwayne Thomas, in Banks district, Clarendon, used his swift water training to save the life of a man who was being washed away and I am proud of him,” said Beckford.
Beckford nonetheless expressed concerned about the great demands on the EMS service in western Jamaica, which is seeing increasing numbers of traffic accidents.
“Trelawny and Westmoreland are running neck and neck in the number of times the officers are called to accident scenes. In Trelawny, it is along the North Coast Highway between Rio Bueno and the border. In Westmoreland it is in the Negril area. In almost 90 per cent of the time these accidents can be avoided,” said Beckford.
“Just recently, there was an accident in Trelawny. Four persons needed to be hospitalised. That is four beds to be occupied in a pandemic. The officers who went to the scene are constantly being exposed to mangled bodies. Counselling will have to be arranged although they do not complain,” said Beckford.