TO date, the Barbados Fire Service (BFS) has responded to over 2 000 incidents, and of those incidents, 1 737 have been fires.
According to Acting Chief Fire Officer, Lloydson Phillips, this is a reduction, however, to the corresponding period for 2015, where the BFS responded to approximately 2 200 incidents and close to 1 900 fires.
“The key areas of concern – residential and commercial building fires – have all thankfully shown reductions, and we would like to end the year on a positive note and have our residential fires and commercial building fires remain as they are,” Phillips indicated in his Christmas Message.
“We have responded to 75 residential fires and 12 commercial building fires, as compared to 77 residential fires, and 20 commercial building fires for the same period in 2015,,” he meanwhile revealed.
The Acting Fire Chief is meanwhile seeking to discourage persons from lighting up indiscriminately during this Yuletide season.
“I want to urge persons to desist from indiscriminate burning of rubbish and vacant lots. I am well aware that during this holiday period, persons like to clean their surroundings, but please be warned that with recent high winds, that this practice is dangerous. We have had at least two homes completely destroyed, and two others extensively damaged, due to persons burning rubbish or grass, which subsequently got out of control,” he noted.
He also stated, “If you are tired, you are also advised not to start any cooking, as the probability of you drifting off to sleep and leaving the stove unattended is great. Persons with Christmas trees are also cautioned not to place any lit candles on or near these trees”.
Phillips also noted that fire prevention, although being one of the Fire Service’s main mandates, is not its only concern.
“The department has responded to 70 motor vehicle accidents for the year. We have, however, shown a reduction in this category of incident, as we responded to 89 for the same period and 94 accidents overall in 2015,” he said.
“In my traversing, I have come across several accidents already on our roads for the holiday season, and I am pleading with persons to reduce your speed; do not take unnecessary chances with your life and other person’s lives as well. We all want to see our loved ones in 2017 and beyond,” he maintained.