Barbados Fire Service Marks 54 Years

The Barbados Fire Service marks 54 years of ardent assistance to the nation with renewed commitment to “build and maintain relationships within our community”.

Vows from the men and women of the fire service will be made during a 9:45 a.m. thanksgiving service today Sunday, September 27, at the Mount of Praise Wesleyan Holiness Church on Tudor Bridge in St. Michael.

Acting Prime Minister, Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs the Honourable Freundel Stuart will address the congregation and take the salute at the parade following the church service.

At 10 a.m. on Monday, a memorial service at Probyn Street Headquarters, Bridgetown will honour fallen firefighters.

During the week, celebrations will centre on fire-readiness, fire-fighting, fire prevention and community relations proficiency in the interaction between the public and the Barbados Fire Service.

Activities will peak with Fire Officers’ Professional Day, a team-building programme, at Higher Heights in St. Joseph on Wednesday and the Chief Fire Officer’s Parade and Awards Ceremony at 3 p.m. on Friday, October 2, at the Arch Hall Fire Station, Arch Hall, St.Thomas.

The annual family-fire-fair brings down the curtain on the activities from 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 3, at headquarters. Attractions include special video presentations, tours of fire trucks, jumping tent, face painting and lucky dip.

Randolph Cox Is The New Acting Fire Chief

Randolph Cox has been named the new acting Chief Fire Officer of the Barbados Fire Service (BFS). Cox took over from last Tuesday and is now in charge of a staff of nearly 244 uniformed officers and approximately 24 civilian support personnel.

A member of the fire department since 1973, Cox had been serving as Divisional Officer for the last few years. He succeeds Anthony Blackman, who was acting fire chief before retiring on August 28, 2009 and Eric Rice, who became interim chief immediately after.

The Barbados Fire Service operates from six stations and protects a population of 265,000. Its annual call volume is just over 2,000 fire calls.

Three Dead As St Jude’s Goes Up In Smoke

Three people are dead following an early morning blaze that left the entire Surgical Ward of the St Jude’s Hospital in St Lucia ablaze. Residents of the Vieux Fort and Laborie area reported hearing loud explosions between 12:30 and 1am, that shook their houses. Reports are that several residents were on the scene helping to remove patients from the burning building which also houses the Pediatric Ward. Two men died in the St Jude’s Hospital while another died en route to the Victoria Hospital in Castries. Seriously injured patients were transferred to the Victoria Hospital in Castries and other hospitals around St Lucia while others were housed at the nearby Vieux Fort Comprehensive School.

The Prime Minister of St Lucia, who was at the Vieux Fort school held an emergency meeting with the fire service, the police and medical professionals before holding a press conference where he called on St Lucians to do all in their power to help those affected and to bear with the medical fraternity whose resources will be strained in this difficult time. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Source: http://stluciastar.com

Barbados Fire Service Celebrates Its 54th Anniversary

The Barbados Fire Service (BFS) will commence celebrations for its annual Week of Activities with a Thanksgiving Service at the Mount of Praise Wesleyan Holiness Church, Tudor Bridge, St. Michael on Sunday, September 27, 2009.

The Department will be celebrating its 54th Anniversary this year. During the week, the Fire Service has planned a number of events and is throwing open its doors to public visits at its Probyn Street headquarters, the Worthing, Arch Hall, St. James and St. John fire stations.

The week climaxes with a Family-Fire-Fair on Saturday, October 3 from 11:00 a.m. at Fire Service Headquarters, Probyn Street, Bridgetown. This event will feature special fire-fighting video presentations, tours of the fire station, jumping tent, lucky dip, face painting and the new rescue tender.

Source: http://bajanfirefighters.blogspot.com

Acting Fire Chief Anthony Blackman Retires

Acting Chief Fire Officer Anthony Blackman has retired after 41 years in the Barbados Fire Service. Blackman began his career with the Fire Service in 1968, and spent his last day on the job on Friday, August 28, 2009.

He became the acting Chief Fire Officer in 2008 after former Fire Chief Chesterfield Mayers retired from service. Blackman met with several members of staff on Thursday and conveyed his parting greetings and best wishes for the service.

Eric Rice will be acting as Chief Fire Officer with Randolph Cox acting as Deputy Chief Fire Officer.

Source: http://bajanfirefighters.blogspot.com