Bajan Fire Fighters Blog

Bath in St John was turned into a mass casualty scene last night after a coach carrying picnickers overturned, injuring more than two dozen people. Four were rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), but none of the injuries was believed to be life-threatening. Well after 10 p.m. ambulances were still speeding to the hilly eastern parish, overtaking many a driver hurrying along to see what had happened. Some of the curious said they were trying to check on whether relatives were among the injured. Thirty people were travelling in the bus, owned and operated by Johnson Tours. On an island tour, the bus, making Bath its last stop, flipped sending passengers, most of whom were in their 20s and 30s, into a spin. Source: www.nationnews.com

At least six people were injured in a collision between two mini-buses in Shop Hill, St. Thomas. According to police reports, the accident occurred at 8:15 Friday morning as both vehicles were approaching the area of the Lester Vaughn School. Most of the injuries were minor but Carol-Ann Whittington of Airy Cot, St. Thomas was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment. Source: www.cbc.bb

Students of the Luther Thorne Memorial Primary School had a fun-filled afternoon yesterday as they participated in the Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) programme. Members of the Barbados Fire Service (Probyn Street) visited the school and shared valuable information regarding fire safety. (Photo compliments: C Bishop)

The Barbados Fire Service Association and the Administration of the Fire Service are collaborating to address the issue of re-hydration of firefighters at major incidents. This announcement was made during a brief ceremony at Fire Service Headquarters yesterday, as the BFSA presented a cooler to Chief Fire Officer Wilfred Marshall.

Firemen averted what could have been a major catastrophe in the City this afternoon when the old ice factory in Mason Hall Street went up in flames. The alarm was raised around 1:43 p.m. that the building which is located in a very densely populated area, was on fire. Although there was nothing significant inside the old factory and the adjoining building, employees from a nearby cleaning company kept a close eye on the blaze, which belched black smoke that could be seen as far away as Cave Hill, St. Michael. It was that billowing smoke that prompted MP for the City of Bridgetown, Patrick Todd to visit to the scene. He told the media that he saw the thick smoke from the offices of the Ministry of Housing and Lands at Country Road and was concerned. "The fire did not spread to neighbouring households. We are very happy that the emergency services were able to respond so quickly to avert a major catastrophe because as you would know this area is very densely populated with the avenu...

Fire has broken out at the old Ice Factory and Smithfield Foods Limited building at Mason Hall Street in the city. That fire is currently being fought by three fire tenders from the Barbados Fire Service. The fire which started just before 1 o’clock this afternoon consumed the partially abandoned building. Scores of onlookers gathered on the scene and some had to assist with the removal of several cars from the environs of the burning building. One young man from the area said a lot of men from the New Orleans and surrounding districts had to alert the owners of several cars which are usually parked in the area and assist with the removal. Concern was also raised about the potential threat of the fire spreading and affecting the portion of the building which is used as chemical storage for Bajan Cleaning Services. Source: www.nationnews.com

A brother's frantic efforts to find his 75-year-old sister last night ended in tragedy. Henderson Mottley said last night that he visited his sister, Velma Smith, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, at her No. 24 Durants, Christ Church home. "I came up my usual time about 6:30 and I would sit down and me and she would sit down and I would finish watch Day of Our Lives wid she. When I first came up I saw the house in darkness, and I was wondering what happened and I said to myself this ain't like her," he recounted. He said he knocked and called around saying "Sis, sis, sis all the time", but did not hear anything. He then asked one of his sister's close friends if she told her she was going out but she said no. "I then called [her] cellular phone, I called the house number. I stand up outside on the patio, I called the number and I heard it ring, ring, ring, then it ring off. I said something got to be wrong," he noted. Mottley said he then che...