Fire Officers in Anguilla have been given a boost of energy and encouragement in their work as a result of Fire Prevention Week from October 6-12.
The Anguilla Fire and Rescue Service commenced Fire Prevention Week with a church service at the First Baptist Church in Welches. There, Pastor Cyril Gumbs touched on the hazardous work of the Fire Officers, stressed the importance of their service and their need for public support.
Governor Tim Foy, OBE, and Premier Banks, were present at the church service. Speaking afterward, the Governor expressed his thoughts to The Anguillian newspaper:
“We in Anguilla are blessed that we have a tremendously dedicated fire and rescue service. It is fantastically led by Shondell Hodge. The guys are superb but there is a responsibility on all of us to look at what we do in our own homes to prevent fires. I know the big focus of this week will be to be assured that there is a fire service in Anguilla to prevent fires – and it is a lot better. I want to say thank you very much to the fire service for what it does.”
Premier Banks commented: “I too would like to join the Governor in congratulating the Anguilla Fire and Rescue Service. A very short time ago we were very concerned about security – not only within the community but also the airport in ensuring that we have those services in place to support our economy. The fire service has now been brought up to speed and I can also see a difference in the morale of the fire crew. They have always been concerned about the level of support and the level of equipment – and other resources.
“I think that under the leadership of Mr. Shondell Hodge, and the rest of his staff, they have been doing an excellent job and we look forward to continue to support them towards this end. I wish the Fire Officers a wonderful week – and with their meetings with the community to make their services known.”
Mr. Hodge, the Chief Fire Officer, was asked where he now saw the level of service provided by his department. “Right now, the Anguilla Fire and Rescue Service is one of the premier services in the Caribbean,” he boasted. “Within one year we went through a tremendous equipment upgrade and we are looking to do that in the training aspect as well.”
The Fire Chief added: “I wish to thank the UK Government, the Governor’s Office, the Government of Anguilla, and members of the Anguilla Fire and Rescue Service, for their gallant efforts in ensuring that this department becomes one of the premier Fire and Rescue Departments not just in the Caribbean but the whole world.”
Meanwhile, the Chief Fire Officer issued this advisory to members of the public: “We would like to encourage people of all ages to learn about fire safety – and practice steps to help their families, co-workers and friends to escape safely in the event of a fire at home. The reality is that when a fire breaks out your time to get to a place of safety is dramatically reduced. On average, you may have 3-5 minutes to escape before a fire can spread, exists are blocked, visibility is reduced and there is increased risk of injury or death.
“This is why we are strongly appealing to children, teenagers, adults, seniors and business persons to learn important fire safety tips – and to find ways to incorporate fire prevention in their daily routines.”
One of the fire awareness activities, as part of Fire Prevention Week, was a march – through the Upper Valley on Monday, October 7 – by Fire Officers led by the Pathfinders Drum Band. One of the other activities is the free installation of some one thousand smoke detectors, as well as a number of fire extinguishers, mainly in the homes of senior citizens as well as schools on the island.
