Fire and Life Safety Awareness Week, slated for October 27 to November 2, will be observed under the theme ‘Embracing Digital Innovation to Improve Fire Safety’.
Deputy Commissioner, Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), Sean Martin, says the Week will showcase how the JFB uses technology in its operations.
He was speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank, at the agency’s head office in Kingston.
“We at the JFB think that the theme is very timely, because with the advancement of technology, what we want to do is make the public aware of how they can utilise technology to create a safer environment,” said Mr. Martin.
He indicated that a key message to be highlighted throughout the week is that “digital technology and devices facilitate the execution of fire and life-safety functions with either no intervention or very little human intervention”.
Mr. Martin explained that the use of technology in fire safety gives a certain level of assurance and reduces the chance of error.
“It allows for function, such as automotive equipment for electrical and other faults. So, it can man your electrical outlet and it can tell you when there is a spike in the energy or an increase in the voltage, and it can shut the system down if it detects the power is above what is required, and that can prevent fire from occurring,” he added.
The Deputy Commissioner further informed that several activities are being planned to commemorate the Week, noting that a media launch will be held on October 23 at the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development.
Among the activities being planned are a National Church Service on October 27 at the Swallowfield Chapel in Kingston; a series of expos hosted by each Area, showcasing various smart fire-safety devices and how they can be integrated into daily fire-safety practices, and a Firefighter’s Ball on Saturday, November 2, at Royalton Resort in Negril.
The expo for Area 4 will be held on October 29 at the Black River Fire Station in St. Elizabeth; Area 2 on October 30 at the Port Antonio Fire Station in Portland; Area 3 on October 31 in Mandeville, Manchester, and Area 1 on November 1 at St. William Grant Park in Kingston.
“We will be having some fire-safety companies who will be out there displaying their devices and explaining how they work, and probably you could get quotations,” said Mr. Martin.
“It’s something that we want to encourage people to do because when you look at the value of what you have in your homes, spending less than US$100 to protect that value makes sense,” he added.
Persons interested in attending the Ball may visit their local fire stations to purchase tickets.
Activities will also be organised at the parish level by each fire station to foster engagement at the community level.