Bajan Fire Fighters Blog

Public service vehicle operators are reminded that the area in front of the Bridgetown Fire Station is a designated 'No Parking' area. Therefore, parking in this area is in direct contravention of the Road Traffic Act and also impedes the ability of the Fire Service to efficiently respond to emergencies.

Members of the public applying for a safety inspection for the first time are asked to note that effective Wednesday, April 1, fees must be paid when the request is made to the Barbados Fire Service (BFS). The BFS is also advising that fees for re-inspection for compliance must also be paid before the certificate is collected. All fire safety inspections certificates issued by the BFS are valid for only one year from the date of inspection. Persons may renew their certificates by writing a letter requesting the inspection to the Chief Fire Officer, Barbados Fire Service, Level 5, Post Office Building, Cheapside, St. Michael, at least two months in advance. (BGIS)

According to Geneva-based Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives this year's number of crashes at 111 is down from 139 last year, says the bureau, which defines an air accident as "any event where aircraft suffered such damage that it is not in a position to be used anymore and that it is removed from service." See:  http://www.baaa-acro.com/

Acting Chief Fire Officer with the Barbados Fire Service (BFS), Errol Maynard, stated that this year’s 16.25 per cent increase in house fires, strengthened the fact that the message of fire safety urgently needed to reach “every alley, avenue, terrace, village, development and community across Barbados”. A total of 80 house fires were recorded for 2013, while there are 93 on record so far for this year.  “With each passing year, we remind you of the importance of adopting proper fire safety practices to ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday season, and this year is no different, as we continue to urge persons to be ever mindful of the danger of fire and offer tips on how to avoid, and, in some cases eliminate, the chance of an emergency occurring,” he said. One area of particular concern for fire officials is persons leaving their stoves unattended – one of the main contributing factors to the spike in house fires across the island. See more:  BGIS Media

The holiday season is the festive time of year when decorative lights brighten our homes and families get together to enjoy the holiday spirit. It is also the time when the risk of fire increases. We offer these helpful hints that everyone can use to keep the season fire free. We urge you to take a moment to read the following tips. • ALWAYS turn off tree lights before going out or to bed. • ALWAYS erect your Christmas tree away from heat sources. • NEVER use combustible decorations on your tree. • NEVER place lights with damaged electrical cords on your tree. • NEVER use staples or nails to hang up light sets, this can damage cords (shock hazard). • NEVER overload electrical circuits by hanging too many lights. • NEVER hang lights outdoors that are not specified for external use. • ALWAYS inspect your decorative lights for defects before hanging them up. • ALWAYS unplug decorative lights when leaving home. • ALWAYS secure plugs from water when using outdoors. ...

We urge homeowners to take precautions to ensure the safety and protection of your family and property. Contrary to popular belief, fire safety is not expensive. The following measures can go a long way towards improving safety in your home. Install smoke detectors, they provide adequate early warning in the event of a fire. Smoke detectors are readily available from most hardware stores and are not expensive. Purchase a fire extinguisher for your home. ABC fire extinguishers are multi-purpose and are essential hand-held devices to combat fires in their early stages. Create and practice exit drills with the occupants in your home. Knowing what to do in the event of a fire is important to ensuring the safety and well-being of your family members.   Finally, if you can afford home insurance it is highly recommended that you obtain adequate insurance coverage for your home and contents.  If you require further information or assistance with your fire safety plann...

The importance of having smoke detectors in homes and businesses will be underscored during this year’s Fire Prevention Week, which commences today Sunday, October 5 and runs until Saturday, October 11 under the theme: Smoke Detectors Save Lives. #FPW2014 See more:  BGIS Media

Fire Officer Patrick Edwards recently conducted a seminar for the St Peter Parish Independence Committee. Watch his very informative talk on fire prevention, classes of fires and other tips. (Nation News) Click to see video:  www.youtube.com

The recent escalation of house fires is generating much concern within the ranks of the Barbados Fire Service. The department is concerned about the high incidence of residential fires and the devastation caused by these fires despite the on-going fire prevention initiatives being conducted by the fire service. The over whelming question asked by many is “Are members of the public making good use of the information provided by the Fire Service to prevent fires?” See blog here:  Bajan Fire Fighters' Blog

The importance of having smoke detectors in homes and businesses will be underscored during this year’s Fire Prevention Week, which runs from Sunday, October 5, until Saturday, October 11 under the theme: Smoke Detectors Save Lives. In an effort to raise awareness about fire prevention and education, officers from the Barbados Fire Service will conduct three evening sessions, the first on Tuesday, October 7, at the Speightstown Community Centre, St. Peter, followed by another on Wednesday, October 8, at the Glebe Resource Centre, Glebe, St. George. The final session will take place at the Princess Margaret Secondary School, Six Roads, St. Philip, on Thursday, October 9. All sessions run from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. During the week, firemen will also install smoke detectors in the homes of vulnerable persons living in communities within their station areas. Fire officers from the St. James Fire Station will go out into their communities on Monday, October 6; the St. John Fire Statio...

Kevin Jeffery's car catches fire on the warm up lap for Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) race. Jeffery is out of the vehicle and is safe. (Bushy Park Motor Sports)

FIRE SEASON HAS BEGUN... ARE YOU READY? We wish to inform the public that our busy season has commenced. We are already seeing an increase in the daily number of grass/bush fires and the occasional sugar cane fire. We are encouraging homeowners to have a look around your property and to start preparing for potential grass/bush fires near your home. As dry conditions become more extreme the potential for increased fire activity becomes a reality. 1. Create and maintain where possible 50 feet of defensible space around your structure. 2. Remove all leaves from roofs, eaves and rain gutters, especially on timber structures. 3. Trim branches six feet from the ground (base of trees). Remove the trimmings and other debris after completion. 4. Keep wood piles and other combustible materials at least 30 feet from the home. 5. Do NOT engage in any form of open air burning whatsoever during the dry season. If cow-itch is a problem on or near your property, you should contact ...

Several accidents occurred on Barbados’ roads yesterday, keeping Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) personnel busy throughout the day. During the Morning Traffic Report on VOB 92.9 FM, personnel from the RBPF’s Operations Control reported 11 accidents during the morning and urged road users to exercise extreme care. In an accident, which occurred after 9 a.m. about halfway between the Henry Forde Roundabout and the Deighton Griffith School, 52-year-old Terry Clarke of Inchscape, Christ Church, and 50-year-old Herbert Cumberbatch of Rendezvous in the same parish suffered various injuries. Both vehicles were extensively damaged, with Clarke and his wife Virginia waiting for over 25 minutes in their wrecked vehicle for the arrival of ambulance personnel. Virginia was driving a Ford Focus car, which was heading towards The City. The Clarkes’ children, Regina and Division 1 cricketer Marquez, were at the accident scene. The driver of the other vehicle, 39-year-old Wendell Alkins, ...

The Barbados Fire Service has raised an alarm about Government’s first four-storey high-rise housing complex at Country Park Towers, Country Road, St Michael.  Chief Fire Officer Wilfred Marshall, who in 2008 urged the National Housing Corporation (NHC) to include the Fire Service in its plans in the construction of high-rise buildings, told the SUNDAY SUN officers had detected several issues with the complex and a report was being submitted to the NHC. While he did not divulge details, because the report was still being prepared, Marshall confirmed that a team from the fire prevention unit had toured the complex earlier this year. He said there were issues such as lack of fire extinguishers, the inability of the residents to access the locked emergency doors, and ventilation along the corridors. Source: www.nationnews.com

Firefighters are often the first responders to fires and many other disaster events. Because of this responsibility, they face a number of immediate hazards that follow disasters, including the risk for asbestos exposure. This risk presents its greatest threat when firefighters answer the call to a fire in a home or commercial building built before the 1980s. Asbestos was incorporated into more than 3,000 construction products and nearly every home and building built before 1980 contains asbestos to some degree. Read entire article: http://bajanfirefighters.org/blogs/3/4/asbestos-exposure-risks-for-fire

Rev. David Holder, Pastor Victor Roach and Fire Chief Wilfred Marshall. Rev. David Holder, Pastor Victor Roach and Chief Fire Officer Wilfred Marshall during a seminar this morning at Fire Service Headquarters in Bridgetown. Pastor Roach was addressing fire officers on the topic of Breathalyzer Testing and also urged the Fire Department to pledge its support and endorsement for its implementation in Barbados.

Homeowners are being urged to pay closer attention to electrical installations which, if not carried out correctly, could lead to their homes going up in smoke. Word of this from Chief Fire Officer Wilfred Marshall as he reviewed some of the trends that were seen in 2011 and the fire prevention programmes which will continue into the New Year. Marshall lamented that fires which are started by electricity are being seen from time to time by the Barbados Fire Service. “Over the Christmas season, I was concerned about the number of fires...there were about three or four fires that I am aware of that involved Christmas lights. That was beginning to bother me, but the season has passed and most of the lights should be down now but I would still like persons to pay attention to electrical installation and appliances.” Noting that there has been a marked decrease in the number of recorded fires last year over the previous year, he expressed hope that the Barbadian public w...

On Friday, December 30, 2011 members of the Barbados Fire Service (BFS) in collaboration with personnel from Esso Barbados SRL conducted a fire drill at the Holborn Terminal. The objectives of the exercise were to test the BFS emergency response procedure and provide a familiarization tour to members of the Fire Service.

UNITED NATIONS -- The first full-scale test of the tsunami warning system in the Caribbean has highlighted the need to reinforce preparations as well as improve communication, evacuation plans and the role of the private sector, the United Nations said on Saturday. The simulated tsunami alert, dubbed Caribe Wave 2011, was carried out on 23 March and involved 34 countries. Under the test scenario, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake was signaled off the coast of the Virgin Islands, which generated a tsunami with waves reaching up to ten metres (33 feet). The exercise tested the Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (Caribe EWS), which was set up in 2005 under the aegis of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). “The exercise highlighted a number of gaps in the transmission of information,” UNESCO stated in a news release, noting that in several areas, the message w...

Thirty-three countries will take part next week in the Caribbean region’s first full-scale tsunami warning exercise as part of United Nations-backed efforts to test and strengthen the region’s defences against such calamities. A UNESCO release said that Wednesday’s exercise, Caribe Wave 11, aims to test the early warning system for tsunamis and other coastal hazards set up in the region in 2005 by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) established under the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The exercise will proceed on a fictional earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale and located off the coast of the United States Virgin Islands, the UNESCO release stated. It is expected to highlight the effectiveness of tsunami warning mechanisms, weather forecast offices, national coast guards and other relevant offices. Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, said last week’s catastrophic quake and tsunami in Japan “have clearly shown the crucial ...