Female firefighters take charge
PORT ANTONIO, PORTLAND
FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS from St Mary and Portland were in a state of readiness during International Women’s Day celebrations last weekend, as they took charge of their station during an eight-hour shift which saw them being on the alert to respond to any and all eventualities.
The team, led by Lezlene Kidd, assistant superintendent from St Mary, along with Angela Hamil, acting district officer and driver; Latoya Bishop, fire prevention officer; and Kerian Gibson, sergeant and instructor, spoke about their roles within the Jamaica Fire Brigade and the many opportunities they bring.
Gibson, who spoke briefly with The Gleaner on Friday, explained that her role was to ensure that persons coming into the service are properly trained in firefighting, fire prevention, search and rescue, as well as being able to respond to other emergencies.
“Any amount of persons coming into or sent to training school, I will be a part of that team, also, to train people coming into the job,” she commented.
“It is not an easy task, because you have persons (male and female) coming from diverse backgrounds and you have to bring everybody under the standard of the Jamaica Fire Brigade. For me, International Women’s Day celebrations feel really empowering, because we are both a mixture of Portland division and St Mary division, so having us coming together and being a full crew, from the station commander to right through to the driver and turnout persons, it is really empowering for me as a female,” she added.
In the meantime, Kidd, whose superiority is fully acknowledged by her colleagues, described her experience with the Jamaica Fire Brigade as a privilege and an honour in serving her country and working for the people. She pointed out that preparation was always the key for firefighters who, according to her, will guarantee a quick response to emergency calls.
“We are here to empower each other, and we have to ensure that our appliances are up to working order and to ensure that so is our gear, so that in the event of an emergency or special service call, we are ready to go. It is good for us to be part of this organisation and we are here to empower each other,” Kidd said.
However, one of the challenges faced by firefighter islandwide is prank calls, which often result in the unnecessary engagement of resources that could have been used elsewhere if there was a genuine call.
“My function is to transport firefighters from the station to the scene and to ensure that they have an extinguishing medium in order to put out a fire. It is not really a challenge, but sometimes bad road conditions and the terrain prevents us from carrying out our function effectively. But overall, it is a wonderful experience for us,” Hamil pointed out.
Bishop, who boasts that her employment at the Jamaica Fire Brigade allows her to go out a lot and affords her the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life, revealed that her first experience on the job was traumatic. She was however quick to point out that her fear was quickly overcome, as she grew confidently into her work.
“It has been a wonderful experience and we are all a team here at the Jamaica Fire Brigade. I am among family that cares deeply about each other, “she concluded.