Greetings citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis. I am Ag Fire Chief Rommel Williams of the St. Kitts and Nevis Fire and Rescue Services.

The St. Kitts and Nevis fire and rescue service continues to live up to its mission statement which is to prevent and safeguard the lives and property of the citizens and general economy by preventing or reducing the dangers and effects of fires and explosions.

With this in mind, the fire department has increased its efforts to sensitize the public to the dangers of fires and the importance of safe fire prevention practices at home or at work. We have increased our radio talk shows from once per week to twice per week on ZIZ and Winnfm enabling us to capture the ears of our citizens both at home and abroad.

The fire Department responded to a total of 544 reports in 2022 while responding to 603 in 2021. We saw a 9.78% decrease in number of reports received in 2022. Of the 544 reports received in 2022, 285 of these reports were brush fires. We continue to encourage our citizens to refrain from starting fires, especially in residential areas as it has a negative effect on the health of our citizens and our environment.

The fire department will continue to increase its efforts to further reduce the number of emergency reports received annually. We, therefore, solicit the cooperation and assistance of our citizens by investing in small portable devices such as smoke detectors and fire extinguishers that are used to detect and combat fires in their early stages. These devices save lives and reduce or prevent long-term disruptions in the lives of our citizens.

As we celebrate International Fire Fighter Day with our brothers and sisters around the world, we thank God for the brave men and women of the St. Kitts and Nevis Fire and Rescue Services who dedicate their lives to the call of service, enabling us to accomplish our mission.