The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) has reported that for calendar year 2023, there was a 20.8 per cent increase in the number of fires resulting from motor-vehicle crashes when compared to 2022.

At the end of last year, the JFB responded to 453 calls for motor-vehicle fires, up from 375 the previous year. Motor-vehicle accidents increased from 1,079 in 2022 to 1,120 at the end of 2023.

Speaking at a recent JIS Think Tank, Commissioner of the JFB, Stewart Beckford, said that the Westmoreland Division is of particular concern having recorded the highest number of motor-vehicle accidents for the year.

“In the Westmoreland Division, last year, we had 390 motor-vehicle accidents that we responded to. So, that division would have been put under extreme stress in terms of responding to these accidents, and the fact remains that a lot of these accidents result in deaths and serious injuries to motorists,” Beckford said.

The commissioner, in urging greater caution among motorists, noted that the effects of reckless driving habits present a serious challenge for the JFB, most notably, the impact on the mental health of the firefighters.

“It is something that we are concerned about because if you repeatedly go to these incidents, over time it will have an impact on your mental state. While we have put in place measures to ensure that our firefighters are provided with counselling when they respond to these emergencies, we believe that motorists do have a duty of care to ensure that when they travel on the road that they obey the road code.

“You will hear the police say, when a lot of these accidents occur, that the cars are speeding, and so we would want to encourage our motorists to please drive with due care on the roads, have regard for other road users and ensure that you arrive alive wherever you are going,” said Commissioner Beckford.

Other JFB divisions also reported an increase in response to motor-vehicle accidents in 2023.

The St James Division follows Westmoreland with 156 crash responses, representing a 13.9 per cent rise from 2022, while the Kingston and St. Andrew Division recorded 117 responses, representing a 10.4 per cent increase from 2022.
– JIS