According to Assistant Superintendent of Police Jeffery Deleveaux, the fire department is strapped for officers.
“We have been receiving an influx of bush fire calls and what really is unique this year is that the calls are coming in rapidly,” said ASP Deleveaux.
“We are now having to deal with two or three fires [that are] going on at the same time and it puts a lot of strain on our resources.”
At present there are 98 officers, 24 of whom have administrative responsibilities, according to the fire chief, who explained that 60 officers are being recruited for the New Providence and Grand Bahama fire departments.
“That is going to assist us tremendously,” said ASP Deleveaux.
“As a matter of fact, there are 30 firefighters in training right now who will be graduating sometime in July, that would be adding to the human resources. We will be recruiting another 30 for Grand Bahama.”
According to fire officials, as of last week the department received 765 fire calls, including building, bush, rubbish, boats and special services. The majority of those calls were related to bush fires.
ASP Deleveaux said that given the high number of bush fires, most of the dry areas should be depleted by the Summer months.
“What that would do with the summer months approaching, it will really deplete most of the forest areas [and] by the time the really hot months come around there should be less fires,” ASP Deleveaux said.
“As we pass the months of May and June we will see a decrease in bush fires. Because most of the forest areas will be destroyed already by the end of May, June, July we will start seeing a fall off in the fires. Although we will be getting them, there wonﾒt be as many.”
In January, firefighters tackled 189 fires, in February 177, for the month of March 207 and in April 192 fires.
According to fire officials, many fires are caused due to negligence and by the hands of children.
“As Bahamians we really donﾒt take fires serious until something happens,” ASP Deleveaux said.
“Someone carelessly discarding a lighted cigarette, it seems trivial but it can cause a lot of trouble. Someone walking through a track road indiscriminatelyﾅdrops a match and thatﾒs a problem and persons who are carelessly lighting fires in the yard it spreads and can cause a problem. Persons ought to be aware that these actions can be catastrophic.”
By: Royanne Forbes Darville, The Bahama Journal
