Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Farley Riviere has revealed that the Fire Department recorded a total of 168 fires throughout the various districts for the year 2016.
He made that announcement while addressing a ceremony held at the Roseau Fire Station on Wednesday.
“We recorded 168 total throughout the various districts,” he revealed. “Thirty-nine of those were structural fires, [houses]… compare that with last year [2015], we had a total of 389 fire calls, 48 of those were structural fires. You can see that there was an increase in 2015.”
Riviere continued, “I can tell you as it relates to headquarters, the headquarters recorded 90 fire calls for the year, of the 90, 27 were structural fires.”
According to him, Portsmouth recorded 43 fires, “of the 43, six were structural fires.”
He went on to say that Melville Hall Fire Station recorded 10 fire calls and of that 10, three were structural fires.
“La Plaine and Canefield there were no calls recorded,” he noted.
Additionally, Riviere stated that for Grand Bay there were nine fire calls recorded and of those, three were structural fires.
“St Joseph recorded 14 fire calls and of those, three were houses,” he stated. “And Castle Bruce recorded one fire.”
Meantime, he said the total number of ambulance calls recorded for the department for 2016 was 8,673.
He stated the total number of ambulance calls recorded at the Fire Services Headquarters for 2016 was 3,615.
“In January of 2016 the Fire Services Headquarters in Roseau, the total ambulance calls was 339,” Riviere noted. “Portsmouth recorded 99.”
“Last year [2015] we recorded a total of 7042 ambulance calls, we have a difference or an increase on ambulance calls of 1,631,” he added.
For Melville Hall Fire Station, he said, the department recorded a total of 1,011 ambulance calls and La Plaine, 502 calls.
Riviere mentioned also that Grandbay recorded 1,218 ambulance calls, St Joseph a total number of 564 calls and Castle Bruce 530.
For the year, he said, the department responded to a total number of 42 accident calls.
What caused all these fires? Are the people being educated about fire hazards and prevention?
All of this was said to say what exactly? Are we doing better or worse than last calendar year? I’m kind of lost here!