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Contact:
Claudia Monlouis
Thursday, January 15, 2004 - It is the realization of a milestone for 47
recruits of the St. Lucia Fire Service who will graduate from training school on
January 16th, 2004. After fourteen weeks of rigorous training in both
theoretical and practical aspects of Fire Science, the recruits will be on the
job as early as next Wednesday January 21, 2004.
Divisional Officer Hilton Occulien says the recruits have been equipped with a
wealth of knowledge in 35 main subject areas. “They studied the chemistry of
fire in-depth. The nature of fire, how fire starts, how it spreads, how fire
reacts to different chemicals, all aspects of pumps and pump preparation,
hydraulics, fire prevention and many other topics. Among the main areas of
interest to the public is the First Responders Course. Every fireman must
undergo two weeks of intensive training in First Aid and First Responders’
Level.”
He explained that the standard of training is based on the guidelines from the
Service’s international affiliates. “We are affiliated to international bodies
like NFPA that’s the National Fire Protection Association and we are also
affiliated to the FTA of England and these other bodies and the standards that
we follow are pretty much a break down of the international standards that have
been sent down to affiliate fire bodies,” Occulien said.
The new recruits bring the man power of the Fire Service to 220 overall. They
will be deployed amongst the six fire stations on the island.
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