The Barbados Fire Service has only 11 officers travelling around the country trying to educate Barbadians on fire prevention measures, at a time when the number of house fires is increasing.
Speaking at the launch of the annual four-week Junior Fire Cadet Training Programme at the service's Probyn Street headquarters, Chief Fire Officer Chesterfield Mayers said that, ultimately, the Fire Service would be interested in having the children aged between 13 and 15 taking part in the programme assist them in going into the community with their fire prevention education programme.
Mayers noted that much of the training the students would receive was similar to that which people received when joining the Fire Service, and urged them to stay committed to what they were doing and reminded them of the importance of ensuring they attended all their training sessions on time. Course co-ordinator, Fire Officer 1 Marlon Small, noted that the course would teach the students the basics of fire prevention and the use of extinguishers, hoses and hydrants and how to administer CPR. He added that it would also help them develop teamwork and leadership skills and would give them increased confidence.
The children were drawn from the Girl Guides as well as Boy Scout and Sea Scout movements, which featured fire prevention as part of their community service programmes. Head of the Girl Guides Association, Wilma Turton, called on the Fire Service to expand the programme and develop it in phases so that it could become a "nursery" for future fire officers. Davidson Williams of the Boy Scouts Association urged the Fire Service to make discipline a foremost element of the training since it was one of the major things lacking in the community today.
During the launching ceremony, the Fire Service received a cheque from Roberts Manufacturing, one of the companies sponsoring the training course since its inception.
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