Chief Fire Officer, Josiah Dupuis, has said that there was an increased demand for the ambulance services in Dominica in 2014.
At the same time there has been a decrease in house and bush fire Dupuis said on Wednesday morning.
“This morning we are here to highlight the work load data of the Fire and Ambulance Services Division,” he said during a press conference at the fire and ambulance services’ headquarters on Bath Road.
He stated that over the past three years there has been a trend of increased calls for ambulance services.
“In fact, in 2012 we have moved from the previous year which we responded to about less than 7,000 calls and in 2012 we responded to a total of 7,078 ambulance calls, and that number moved slightly in 2013 to 7,158,” he stated.
He pointed out that in 2014 ambulance calls moved into the “8,000 bracket” for the first time.
“In 2014 we had an increase of our ambulance calls by 1,477 calls to 8,635 calls,” he stated.
The Fire Chief remarked that the increased calls may be the result of various factors including better ambulance coverage in various health districts.
“One of them could be that last year we had better ambulance coverage in the country than we have had ever and I think that this is significant,” Dupuis said.
Dominica also saw a decrease in bush and house fires in 2014, the Fire Chief stated.
Data reveals that in 2012 there were 194 bush fires, 146 in 2013 and 120 in 2014, while in 2012 there were 310 house fires, 217 in 2013, and 199 in 2014.
Dupuis is greeting the data of the reduction in the bush fires as “good news” and is attributing it to the weather pattern, the department’s proactive measures in educating the public or urban expansion to areas that were once covered with grass.
He said the downward trend in house fires is “not accidental.”
“I think it tells a story about some of the public relations that we are doing with our radio programs, sensitizing people about the importance of proper safety practices at home,” he said.
Hello and good morning my people. Well Mr Dupuis thanks for the service you, the Firefighters and Emergency Medical Techicians are providing to our citizens and visitors.