Fire Service Smoke Alarm Drive and Risk Reduction Initiative launched this week

By Department of Home Affairs 

The Saint Lucia Fire Service   is working diligently to bring into focus an activity   dubbed   a national “Smoke Alarm Drive” commencing on Thursday, November 10, 2022.  The initiative will be live streamed via the National Television Network (NTN) and marks the final activity of    the observance of Fire Prevention Week.

Fire Prevention Week was hosted during the month of October.

 The Fire Service is   collaborating with the corporate sector, as well as the Ministry of Equity, the National Emergency Management Office (NEMO) and disaster management committees in order to shortlist recipients for this fire prevention initiative. The goal is to distribute one thousand   smoke alarms by December 21, 2022.

Acting Assistant Divisional Officer Mabius Francis commented that the Fire Service 

has noticed   a worrisome link between house fires and low income households.

“Records of structural fires indicate that annually an average of 120 homes are destroyed by fire. Further, the largest percentage of destructive fires occur in low income houses. Therefore, in an effort to reduce the losses experienced due to those fires, the Saint Lucia Fire Service embarked on a series of outreach activities to   promote fire safety awareness throughout the island. “

 Each community will   host an appreciation ceremony in order to recognize the sponsors involved in this significant social partnership with the Saint Lucia Fire Service. This activity will officially mark the conclusion of Fire Prevention Week for this year.