by Eulana Weekes
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): The success of a fire prevention campaign lies in its ability to foster long-term behavioural change.
FSSO Pablo Gumbs of the St. Kitts and Nevis Fire and Rescue Services explained that when people become more aware of fire risks, they are more likely to take proactive steps to safeguard their homes, workplaces, and communities, hence the reason for the fire department’s robust fire prevention campaign.
“We keep mentioning fire prevention, and throughout the world and throughout the Caribbean, one of the things that helps minimise the lot of fires and stuff is fire prevention. Actually teaching people what to do, how to do it, you know, in the event of a fire. This goes a long way because it’s no more that we are like, you know, back in the day [where] people used to say that we are waiting for fires. We are not waiting for fires anymore. Those are the days that are gone. We are going out and doing prevention, and prevention is key.”
It is far easier and more cost-effective to prevent a fire than to deal with its aftermath. Fires can cause immense damage, loss of life, and significant financial losses, Mr Gumbs explained on the June 24 edition of Fire Talk.
“Some person may say, but y’all ain’t get any fires. I don’t like fires. One, fire destroys lives and property. So, if you spend your whole life building your property and then you actually lose it in a couple of hours, that is very tragic to someone who has spent their life building their property and stuff like that.”
For the first half of 2025, residential fire statistics showed a positive trend, with no reports of home destruction due to fires. Mr Gumbs views the statistics as encouraging, suggesting that fire safety practices are having a tangible impact on minimising fire-related risks in communities across the federation.
“So, going out and actually doing prevention is the key, because I think for this year, for Basseterre, we have had just maybe four to five house fires, and these house fires were not fires where persons occupy these buildings. These were abandoned buildings. So, that in itself tells us that we are not having fires that people are living in, and then they are losing everything, you know? So it’s just maybe somebody might just go into an abandoned building and maybe be smoking and stuff like that, and then, you know, cause a fire. So the prevention is really doing its work.”
Firefighters play a crucial role in educating the public about fire prevention. One of the most effective ways the St. Kitts and Nevis Fire and Rescue Services achieve this is by visiting schools, interacting directly with children, and instilling lifelong habits of fire awareness and safety.
“I have to commend those persons who came before me in terms of doing this fire prevention. It’s really getting out there to persons now that fire is not just about sitting down and waiting anymore. We’re going out and actually doing our work, talking to people, talking to schools. This year we had our year of activities, where we went out to the schools. We are gonna start again after school opens again in September to go to some of the private schools because that in itself goes a long way that you’re teaching the children and actually they are going back to their parents and educating them as well, too, you know, because you can learn from the smallest child.”
WINN FM was provided an opportunity to witness fire prevention engagements at a few schools in the federation. The lessons empowered students to recognise dangerous situations and respond effectively. The sessions typically involved hands-on demonstrations, safety drills, and clear explanations of how to handle different fire-related situations.
Students were taught the importance of smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and emergency exits to ensure they understand the significance of these tools in keeping their homes, schools and families safe.
Children were also taught how to stop, drop, and roll if their clothes catch fire, reminded of the importance of never playing with fire or matches and the need to always have a designated meeting spot in case of an emergency.
Meanwhile, the wider community also benefit from proactive fire safety measures, such as fire drills, community outreach initiatives, public service announcements and public education campaigns.
Particularly, there have been continuous pleas by fire officials for households and businesses to implement comprehensive fire prevention plans, including regular inspections, staff and household member training, the use of portable fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and alarms, and strict adherence to safety protocols.
