Dennie Quill, Contributor
IT HAPPENS all too often in Jamaica - fire-related tragedies. This week we heard about near catastrophe at the College of Science and Agriculture in Portland after fire broke out in one of the dormitories, injuring and hospitalising students.
There are early suggestions that this fire - the third on the campus in a short time was deliberately set. However, until the police investigations are complete we can never be sure just how it happened.
Yet the unavoidable fact is that this could happen in any other institution. Our schools, hospitals, hotels, factories, places of recreation etc., must practise fire safety to avert death and property damage. One got a clear hint from a third year student at the college that fire safety is not high on the school's agenda as he pointed to the fact that he had never witnessed a fire drill since he had been there.
The College, which is a boarding institution, has a responsibility to ensure that
students living in and using the facilities are safe. This applies to all such institutions. It may mean investing in fire safety equipment - extinguishers, smoke detectors and alarms. The cost of such significant safeguards is small compared to the protection to be gained. The Ministry of Education should take this as a warning and start serious dialogue with schools to ensure they practise fire safety measures.
According to fire experts, about eight of every ten fires are preventable. So reducing fire risk should be a national priority and collectively we should be well prepared to take the necessary action to protect life and property when they do occur.
BETTER FIRE SAFETY
We know that people tend to panic when there is an emergency. It is therefore imperative that institutions have regular fire drills which should include instructions for the prompt and safe evacuation of the premises. Take New Kingston which boasts the capital's largest number of high rise buildings. Are there regular fire inspections? Are workers taken through fire drills on a regular basis?
Educational institutions are assisted in their administration by school boards. How many school boards have considered the fire risks in their schools? How many have ensured that fire extinguishers are strategically placed in school buildings and that individuals know how to use them? How many have insisted on regular fire drills and inspections?
How many householders have a fire safety plan in place? The fact is because of the overwhelming threat from the criminal elements, Jamaicans are forced to barricade themselves behind heavy iron grills, it is therefore imperative that keys are kept in an identifiable place where they can easily be found in an emergency. Another imperative is to teach children fire prevention methods from as early as possible, as the statistics indicate that children are to be blamed for starting many fires in the home.
STIFFER ARSON PENALTIES
And what about people who intentionally park near fire hydrants and block emergency exits? The penalties for such infractions should be stiff. The KSAC should be on the alert to deal with these violators and send a strong message to others.
Ideally, there ought to be a robust partnership between the fire service, schools and communities. However, with the best will in the world the ramshackle Jamaican fire service which has been deprived of the requisite training, tools and equipment, cannot function in the efficient manner expected, which is all the more reason why private individuals must spring into action and be prepared.
Fire Prevention Week in North America has its roots in the great Chicago conflagration of 1871 when 300 persons perished and hundreds were left homeless. So, every year around October 9 there is a week set aside to give national attention to fire safety. This is something we may want to consider here in Jamaica. The anniversary of the shameful Eventide fire may be one date on the calendar that we want to mark for such an observation.
Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist who may be reached at denniequill@hotmail.com.
