Construction expert criticizes fire chief over unsafe buildings warning

 

KINGSTON, Jamaica--A warning by the head of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) that partygoers should avoid death trap buildings this holiday, as the majority have been found to be fire hazards, is being seen as foolhardy by Construction Industry Council Chairman Christopher Lue.

  Fire Brigade Commissioner Stewart Beckford had issued the warning last Tuesday at the quarterly press briefing of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, saying that “personal responsibility is critical to staying alive during the upcoming holidays and beyond” and the Fire Brigade wants Jamaicans to be aware of the buildings they enter “to have a good time.”

  Beckford also said of the 1,019 places of amusement examined by the JFB between January and November this year, only 140 were certified as “fit for use” leaving “the vast majority uncertified.”

  However, in response, Lue said: “The Fire Brigade chief is telling us to be wary; how are we going to be wary? He has not published a list, so how are we going to be aware of where is safe and where is not safe? We are potential users of entertainment facilities. They need to publish who are the approved ones and lock down the unapproved ones. Suppose a tragedy should occur in one of the unregulated places?”

  “This is more than frightening, this speaks to a total lack of control,” added Lue.

  The Construction Industry Council oversees the Jamaica Institution of Engineers, Jamaican Institute of Architects, Jamaican Institution of Quantity Surveyors, Land Surveyors Association of Jamaica, Land Economy and Evaluators, and the Institute of Planners.

  “Now, really, what is Commissioner Beckford saying? Is he telling members of the public that when we go to a venue we must ask to see their certificate of approval from the fire brigade for the current period?” Lue questioned, adding, “If there is a venue and it is rented out by a promoter for a particular event, the promoter has a responsibility to ensure that all the licences are in place.”

  He said the comments by the fire chief had given rise to several other concerns, one being whether the buildings had been, at any point, certified.

  “So how can they be categorised as a place of amusement if you were not certified before? It’s an across-the-nation problem where there are so-called places of amusement by the activities occurring but they are not certified,” Lue contended.

  He also dismissed Local Government and Community Development Minister Desmond McKenzie’s signal that the ministry was looking at developing a comprehensive list of the places that are in breach to be released to the public.

  “Is that the only action to be taken? Is there no action under law that can occur? Can a place be operating without an approved Fire Brigade licence and be allowed to continue to operate and put the lives and safety of members of the public – who are not aware that the place is not certified and does not have proper fire prevention measures in place – at risk?” Lue asked.

  On Tuesday Commissioner Beckford said some of the things the Fire Brigade had observed during its inspections were that some of the buildings were operating without fire alarms, smoke and heat detectors, and exit and emergency signs, and there were no alternative exits, whether on the ground or upper floors.

  He also said in some cases the alternative exits were blocked, there were no fire extinguishers and no signs stating the maximum number of people the building can accommodate at one time.

  “There are 308 recorded places of amusement in Kingston and St. Andrew: 38 are certified while the remainder are not; and 88 per cent are not certified,” he said, adding, “St. Catherine has 215 places of amusement on record, of which only 14 are certified. This means that 93 per cent of these venues are not certified.”

  St. James has 109 such places of which only 49 are certified.

  “The remaining 60 venues are not certified. This is cause for concern. We are very concerned about the levels of approval that exist for our entertainment facilities, so we want you to remain safe and as such we will be giving you some critical safety advice throughout the period,” he said. ~ Jamaica Observer ~

The Daily Herald

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