Fire Brigade reports fewer emergency calls in 2024

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) has reported a decrease in the number of emergency calls it received in 2024.

Speaking at a JIS Think Tank on Thursday at the agency's head office in Kingston, Commissioner of the JFB, Stewart Beckford, informed that 2024 was another active year for the brigade, as firefighters responded to 19,133 calls, a five per cent reduction when compared to the 20,152 calls received the previous year.

"Genuine fires accounted for 9,775, reflecting a decrease of 1,614 or 14.4 per cent when compared to the figures for 2023, when we had 11,389 genuine fires," said Beckford. He noted that of the total number of genuine fire calls responded to, 1,605 or 16 per cent were structural fires, which is categorised as commercial and residential fires.

"There were 4,523 bushfires recorded across the country in 2024, and this figure represents a decrease of 1,920 or approximately 30 per cent when compared to the 6,443 responded to in 2023," Beckford added, noting that the St Catherine division recorded the highest number of bushfires in 2023, while Portland recorded the lowest. He further indicated that other calls responded to included special services, false alarm with good intent, malicious false alarm and medical emergency.

In relation to call distribution, St Catherine was the most active division with 4,053 emergency calls, followed by Kingston and St Andrew with 3,045 and Westmoreland with 2,524.