St Kitts and Nevis fire service spreads knowledge

The St Kitts and Nevis Fire and Rescue Services (SKNFRS) is equipping people in the public and private sector with basic skills in firefighting.

The aim is to mitigate the potential for a major loss of life and property in the event of a fire.

According to the federation’s government information service, the skills are taught at what is usually a one-day session coordinated by the department’s Fire Prevention Team.

It features a theoretical session with workers where they cover areas such as how a fire starts, how a fire can spread, and how to extinguish a fire. The participants are then taken to a fire station where they practice what they learned.

Fire sub-station officer Lesroy Caines said the key to avoid a disaster is to catch any fire at an early stage.

The annual Summer Safety Programme is now entering its sixteenth year. It caters to children between the ages of five and 12 and focuses on safety practices in the areas of fire, water, disaster, traffic and crime and violence.

“We thought it was best to introduce this programme to try to alleviate fires and deaths caused by children,” Caines said.

“I want to say that the programme is doing pretty well since its inception; we [have] had a vast decrease in fire incidents caused by children.”

The annual Summer Safety Programme is held traditionally in July. The date and registration details for the 2018 edition are due to be released shortly.