Fire service wants greater biz partnership

The Barbados Fire Service is seeking greater support from the private sector as it works to expand fire safety education in schools across the island.

Fire Officer Shalika Charles made the appeal on Tuesday following the annual Barbados Fire Service Primary School Quiz, held at the Ministry of Education Transformation’s Media and Resource Department at the Elsie Payne Complex, Constitution Road, St Michael.

Charles explained that the initiative was first launched last year as part of the Fire Service’s 70th anniversary celebrations and received such strong feedback that organisers decided to make it an annual event.

“We decided that this programme should be something that we do yearly to really engage the primary school students and the schools, the principals, everybody involved to really spread fire safety, fire prevention, life safety.”

She added that the knowledge shared during the programme could prove critical beyond the classroom.

“This knowledge is something that will not only just stay in this room. It’s something that these children can take at home and it’s something that could become life saving for them.”

Partnerships with corporate Barbados were essential to helping the programme grow and ensuring students benefited directly from participating, said Charles. 

“We wanted people to come on board in terms of sponsors because we want the programme to be something that is beneficial to the students,” she said, noting that Sagicor returned as title sponsor this year.

According to Charles, the company provided smoke alarms for every child who participated in the competition, supporting the Fire Service’s wider goal of improving fire safety in homes across Barbados.

Fire extinguishers were also donated for the homes of the winning students, Charles said. 

“All of that is pretty much increasing the fire safety within the home.”

The fire officer revealed that the Fire Service hopes to eventually expand the programme into secondary schools to reach older students and further strengthen community engagement.

“This is information that we would also like to push into the secondary schools and bring them into this programme as well so that the older children get the opportunity to be engaged.”

She also stressed the importance of integrating fire safety education into the school curriculum year-round rather than limiting it to a single competition.

“We want that it’s something that is taught throughout the school year,” she said, adding that a deeper collaboration with the Ministry of Education would be key to making the initiative sustainable and beneficial to Barbados’ youth overall.

Arthur Smith Primary School was adjudged the overall winner of this year’s competition. 

(SB)