FORTY-FIVE fire officers have been added to the St. Lucia Fire Service following its graduation ceremony held at the Phillip Marcellin Grounds in Vieux-Fort last week.
The event, which was held under the theme āThrough sacrifice great accomplishments are achievedā, was attended by a number of government officials.
A striking feature of the momentous occasion was the presentations of awards to those graduates who have performed exceedingly well in various aspects of their training.
The new fire-fighters, comprising 36 males and nine females, underwent five months of grueling training and were also introduced to new training areas such as swift water operational training and sign language.
In his feature address, Ernest Ottley, a lecturer at Lynchburg College, said: āBefore me, I see great men and women among those graduating todayā¦ā
In making a clarion call for the new fire-fighters to risk their lives to save others, Ottley emphasized the importance of sacrifice and service by quoting the bible.
āThere is no true love without sacrificeā¦ā he told the graduates, adding that they should take pride in their work.
He called on them to make service their lifestyle and exhibit dedication, commitment, devotion and sacrifice in the execution of their duties.
āYou have come into the service not just for a reasonable salary, nor for the sake of having a job. Hopefully, you cane with the dedication to serve,ā Ottley said, calling on the new fire-fighters to leave behind a story of success.
Chief Fire Officer, Joseph Joseph, in his address, described the graduation ceremony as āsignificant accomplishmentā for the graduates.
āThis is not the end, but the first step in this noble professionā¦ā Joseph said and reminded them that their job can also be dangerous and life-threatening.
āYou are likely to encounter tremendous challenges, some of them could be life-threatening and life-ending,ā Joseph said.
But, according to the fire chief, they can overcome some of those challenges by constantly improving their knowledge and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Senator Hermangild Francis, Minster of Legal Affairs, Home Affairs and National Security, described the occasion as a proud moment for the government of St. Lucia.
He said the training the firefighters have received will make them āfirefighters for the futureā, adding it also the way they should define themselves.
According to the minister, the mere fact that they have completed the training means they have accomplished an achievement which they should be proud of.
He also emphasized the need for them to adapt, since the equipment which they will be using will become more advanced and the technology more innovative.
I have not seen anything in the story that says Souther Communities Gets 45 Fire Fighters as per the heading of this story. They are rather Fire Fighters to serve where they are assigned to around St. Lucia. This story heading is very misleading in my opinion
“……..the equipment which they will be using will become more advanced and the technology
more innovative.”
WOW, that’s some progress in the South. With news of all that development of a Las Vegas type
in V/Fort and a more advanced Air Terminal, you will need such, with good training and much more.