Officers of the Anguilla Fire and Rescue Service paraded through the Wallblake and Upper Valley area – on Monday, October 10 – making their presence felt on the island. The parade also included contingents of the Royal Anguilla Police Force, Her Majesty’s Prison and the Pathfinders.
The event was part of a series of activities marking Fire Prevention Week which began with a divine service at the Christian Fellowship Church on Sunday, October 9. It was conducted by the Rev. Dr. Kathleen Richardson.
The activities of the Fire Officers during the week included the installing of smoke alarms donated by Sol Depot Ltd, in the primary schools; the distribution of gift bags to schoolchildren; and a drill display at the Strip in The Valley. The climaxing event is a Firemen’s dinner/ball at DaVida’s Restaurant on Saturday, October 15, preceded by a 5.00 am walkathon.
As part of the observance of Fire Prevention Week, under the theme “Don’t Wait Check the Date”, Fire Station Officer, Mr. Shondell Hodge, released some useful statistics. The figures show that the Fire & Rescue Service handled a total of 83 emergency calls for the year so far. These calls comprised 27 brush fires; 7 utility pole fires – a slight increase over last year; 29 motor vehicle accidents; 5 motor vehicle fires; 10 building fires; and 5 special services.
The Fire Station Officer issued a statement to The Anguillian in which he said: “We pledge to take precautionary steps to prevent fires and other related incidents. We honour the sacrifices made by the courageous men and women of the Anguilla Fire and Rescue Service who risk their lives to fight the threats of fire and other incidents to the island.”
The statement added: “With that in mind, and in keeping with the National Fire Protection Association, we are delighted to once again celebrate Fire Prevention Week 2016.”
