St. Maarten Fire Chief Clive Richardson (third from right) welcomed his colleagues from Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao at the Fire Department in Cay Hill.
PHILIPSBURG--The Caribbean Netherlands Fire Department BKCN recently paid a working visit to St. Maarten for the CAS-BES fire chiefs’ meeting, bringing together commanders from Curaçao, Aruba, St. Maarten and the Caribbean Netherlands to discuss key operational matters.
The meeting provided an opportunity for the six islands to further strengthen cooperation and set priorities for 2026. Discussions focused on mutual fire assistance, future training programmes, professional development, and initiatives such as the Education on the Move (“Onderwijs Onderweg”) programme.
Commanders also reviewed upcoming events on the regional agenda, including the Judicial Four-Party Consultation JvO and the Week of Crisis Management scheduled for the second half of 2026 in The Hague.
Fire chiefs meet three to four times annually to assess progress on joint initiatives and deepen collaboration across the region. The session held in St. Maarten marked the first in-person meeting for 2026.
According to BKCN, the ongoing dialogue and coordination among the participating fire departments represent an important step in strengthening regional cooperation and ensuring the safety and preparedness of communities across the islands.
