KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) will install smoke detectors in several homes across the island as part of efforts to incorporate technology into the country’s efforts to minimise fire-related deaths and injuries.
Commissioner of the JFB, Stewart Beckford, made the announcement during the media launch earlier this week, of the JFB’s Fire and Life Safety Awareness Week,
The week will be observed from October 27 to November 2 under the theme ‘Embracing Digital Innovation to Improve Fire Safety’.
Beckford said technology can be leveraged to better protect life and property from fire incidents.
“Statistics have shown that since the start of the year, we have lost some 21 Jamaicans in fires, lives that could have been saved because fire-related deaths are preventable. Statistics in the United States would have indicated that three out of every five deaths occur in homes without smoke detectors or if they did have one, it didn’t work, because there was no maintenance of those smoke detectors,” he said.
“The NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) has also indicated that you are 54 per cent less likely to die in a fire if you have enough smoke detectors in your home, and so this is one area we will be focusing on to better help the public to help themselves, and one of the initiatives we will be looking on for this year, is how can we instal some smoke detectors in the homes of persons who may not be in a position to acquire those,” he said.
The Commissioner said that starting this weekend, firefighters will be going into homes to install smoke detectors.
“Not only are we encouraging persons to instal smoke detectors but we are going to be installing smoke detectors in homes across the country. How many, I’m not sure but it all depends on the availability of the resources, but what we do know for sure is that in many of the divisions across the country, firefighters will be going into homes to instal smoke detectors,” Mr. Beckford said.
“We are starting as at this weekend (Sunday). We will be out doing that. We will do it for the rest of the week of activities, but that doesn’t mean that at the end of the week the work ceases,” he said.
He noted, too, that persons may reach out to the Brigade if they need assistance in installing their systems. “If persons are interested in having smoke detectors installed, they can reach out to us, so whether they are buying them and they may not know how to instal them or they want us to come and instal, as long as we have them in our possession, then we will do that,” he said.
While unable to provide a budget for the undertaking, he said “a lot of it is through the kind sponsorship of corporate Jamaica”.
The Commissioner said as persons continue to embrace technology and the convenience it brings, “it’s crucial that we remain aware of the importance of safeguarding our lives and livelihoods from the ravages of fires”.
Meanwhile, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, informed that smart technology will be installed in three infirmaries across the island.
