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More Investments in the Fire and Emergency Services

Contact: Julita Peter

Wednesday, March 27, 2002 – Seven new fire appliances, four ambulances and four utility vehicles will soon augment the stock of emergency vehicles available on the island. Three of the new fire appliances will arrive as early as the end of April, this year. Prime Minister Honourable Dr. Kenny Anthony made the disclosure while delivering the feature address at a recent graduation ceremony for eighteen new officers of the St. Lucia Fire and Emergency Services.

Dr. Anthony said the new emergency vehicles are to service the new fire stations currently under construction in Gros-Islet and Dennery. He noted that the Government of Saint Lucia has embarked on a series of measures to improve the quality of St. Lucia’s Fire and Emergency Services. A total of 6 million dollars (EC$6m) will be spent over the next year on the upgrading programme which will include the construction of a new fire service training centre to serve not only St. Lucia but the wider OECS. It will replace the existing one at Vieux-Fort.

In light of all of this, the Prime Minister told the new recruits, much will be expected of the Emergency Services. “This new focus on fire and rescue services should send out a warning to you that you are being watched very closely by the public that you serve…Agencies such as yours, which are charged with the responsibility of protecting lives will come under heavy criticism. You, in turn, will have to bring your work to a level of sophistication equal to that which is expected of you from the public,” he added.

The eighteen new recruits graduated after an intensive 18-week training programme at the Southern Fire Training Station conducted by resource persons of the St. Lucia Fire and Emergency services. According to Chief Fire Officer Augustin Gaspard, this brings the number of officers of the St. Lucia Fire and Emergency Services to three hundred and sixty (360).

Minister for Home Affairs and Gender Relations Honourable Sarah Flood Beaubrun, who has responsibility for the Fire and Emergency Services and who also attended the graduation ceremony, assured the graduates of the Government of Saint Lucia’s commitment to continue to modernize the Fire and Emergency Services to ensure that it is poised to deal with emerging challenges.

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