The Jamaica Fire Brigade is set to bolster its cache of protective equipment before the start of the ICC Cricket World Cup in March next year with top-of-the-line chemical-resistant gear used in the management of hazardous materials.

Called HazMat suits, the outfits comprise several protective layers, including a fully encapsulating moon suit, and offer maximum protection from most concentrations. Each suit, which comes equipped with chemical-resistant gloves, boots and self-contained breathing apparatus, can weigh up to 18 lbs and carry a price tag of about US$2,000.

Acting Commissioner of the Brigade Frederick Whyte, while acknowledging the high cost of the gear, said the acquisition was important, especially at this time because of the increase in the number of terror attacks worldwide.

The Cricket World Cup event could be a target of terrorism based on its mass appeal and, as such, the Jamaica Fire Brigade had to be prepared, he said.

“Hazardous material response is an area of fire brigade operations which have been receiving special attention the world over,” he said. “This comes against the background of terrorist activities involving the use of chemical explosives. In keeping with the ICC Cricket World Cup, as well as the fact that we are expanding our transshipment ports, we need to be able to deal with the problems (that may arise).”

Whyte made his comments at the closing ceremony of the recent Hazardous Materials Technicians Course at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston where a total of 36 ranked firefighters from divisions across the island were declared qualified to properly handle situations involving hazardous materials.

The acting fire chief went on to stress that the threat of exposure to hazardous materials was not limited to terrorist activities, as such chemicals were often by-products of manufacturing processes, some of them found in household products, creating a latent but deadly danger. It is for this reason that “the fire brigade sought to train the staff to efficiently respond to these types of emergencies”.

In Jamaica so far there have not been any hazardous materials cases to speak of, but Senior Deputy Superintendent Raymond Spencer believed the country should be prepared for any eventuality.

“The Almighty has been good to us so far, and we haven’t had any great number of these things happening. The next step though, is for us to get some equipment, because the training without the equipment is nothing,” Spencer told the Observer.

The two-week training programme, which was initiated by the fire brigade, was conducted by Roger Carr and Ralph Baracz of the Hazardous Materials Regional Training Centre in the United States.

Carr and Baracz reported being impressed with the “professionalism” and “true desire to learn” of the Jamaican firefighters.

“Mr Baracz and myself have had many conversations about how quickly our students were able to grasp a complex set of principles and topics that were completely new to them, and on every hands-on drill, they exceeded our expectations of them,” Carr said in remarks for himself and his colleague at the closing ceremony. “Each and every new set of skills set before them were not only completed but mastered in a very efficient and professional way.”

The duo donated the gear with which they conducted the training to the Jamaica Fire Brigade, an act for which the local firefighters expressed gratitude.

Included in the supplies are resource literature, protective training suits and decontamination agents.

The Hazardous Materials Technicians Training Course was the first in a number of initiatives that the department will undertake to ensure that the brigade effectively carries out its mandate of saving lives and protecting property. The next step in its modernisation thrust was a Search & Rescue operation administered by members of the Chicago Fire Department.