Mr. Roland Richardson a former employee of Flow and now an employee of Anguilla Multifaceted Professional Security Services recently completed four weeks of intensive studies to qualify as a fire extinguisher technician in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA10) at a NFPA accredited training institution in Peoria Illinois. The course entails the procedures and understanding of installation, Inspections, maintenance, recharging and Hydro testing of fire extinguishers continuous education. In addition, he also completed the required hands on training at the same institution on the use of state of the art equipment in the recharging, refilling and hydrostatic testing of fire extinguishers.
Mr. Richardson stated that one of the main take away from the course is the importance of selecting the right type of extinguisher for the identified fire hazard. He further stated it is not just as simple as going to a hardware store and purchasing fire an extinguisher because the year of manufacture and type of fire extinguisher maybe obsolete. He added that because fire extinguishers are stored pressure cylinders some fire extinguishers require annual internal examination. Five to six year internal examinations and replacement of service parts may also be necessary. He also stated that extinguishers requires hydrostatic test every five to twelve years depending on the type of extinguishers. Mr. Richardson underscored the point that it is important for owners of fire extinguishers to seek the advice of trained, certified extinguishers technicians to check their extinguishers every six or twelve months to have them properly labeled and tagged. He said that NFPA set the standard for the installation of extinguishers in relation to height and distance based on the rating, classification, size of the area and the type of hazards present.
Hubert Hughes the chief executive officer of (AMPSS) stated that he and his company is happy to offer Mr. Richardson the opportunity to start a second career as a fire extinguisher technician and to continue his previous career as analyst with AMPSS a position he previously held with his former employer Flow. He said they are committed to the continuous education and development of their staff in the services they provide with a view to offering professional services to their clients and customers. He further pointed out that he believes that by equipping our team with knowledge and resources, the team can become self-motivating. The team will have confidence and know they can be successful.
He further pointed out that because of the strategic alliances and networking that the company has been able to forge and develop regionally as well as internationally, the company is in a unique position to have its staff exposed to the highest level of technical training in this very vital area of security. He further added that the present focus of the company is to develop a cadre of officers trained up to international standards because we are also in a global community as it relates to safety and security.
Mr. Hughes took cognizance of the fact that as it relates to domestic fires in particular, the causes of such fires are the same all over the world and whatever happens in apartments and nightclubs internationally could happen in Anguilla as well. He added that the general perception in Anguilla is that because our homes and businesses are constructed of concrete they cannot burn. However, the truth is the contents in the homes and businesses are not and when come in contact with sources of ignition a fire is inevitable.
In addition, every electrical appliance in the home or business is considered a fire hazard because it is energized by electricity and once they overheat, the end result maybe a fire. One may argue that fires in Anguilla are rare and there is perhaps no need for an extinguisher or other fire safety devices because the probability is low. The fact is in most cases the probability of a fire is low because they are not an everyday occurrence but when they do occur the impact is high and devastating; the message from AMPSS therefore is that it is important to be prepared and try to mitigate the impact by ensuring you have the capability to respond to a fire in its incipient stages. He said the impact of an adverse event at one of our major hotels in Anguilla because of a compromised security programme or lack of proper maintenance of fire prevention and response devices could impact many families all part of the world because we have tourist and visitors of all nationalities visit our island to enjoy the peace and tranquility.
– Press Release
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
