The Pine, St. Michael – A “quiet zone” is being developed around the new Barbados Fire Service headquarters in The Pine, St. Michael, to minimize noise disruption, particularly for students at the nearby Ann Hill School. This was announced yesterday by Minister of Home Affairs and Information, Wilfred Abrams, during a tour of the facility.
Abrams explained that traffic lights will be installed at both the northern and southern entrances to the fire station. These lights will be controlled from the station’s command center. The goal is to allow fire trucks to exit the station quickly and safely without initially using sirens.
“Sirens and the noise were raised early on and factored into our Standard Operating Procedures,” Abrams stated. “We bear in mind the fact that we have the Ann Hill School right next door and certain sensitivities with the children.”
The traffic lights will be activated to red when an emergency response is triggered, allowing fire vehicles to leave the station without sirens. Sirens will only be engaged once the trucks have passed the lights and are further away from the school. Abrams noted that the school had raised concerns about noise, and all parties seem satisfied with the proposed solution.
Chief Fire Officer Errol Maynard also announced that the Barbados Fire Service is collaborating with the Ministry of Education to finalize emergency response procedures for the new headquarters. Discussions and training sessions with Ann Hill School officials are planned to ensure a smooth transition once the station is operational.
“We are also working with the Ministry of Education,” Maynard said. “We have had discussions with the school on these plans, and in the very near future, probably next week or the week after, we will have a sit-down again to finalize the actual operationalizing of the plans.”
This includes training for school staff and, reciprocally, training for fire officers on interacting with individuals with autism, particularly how to de-escalate situations where they become agitated. Maynard emphasized that a comprehensive plan is in place.