Topic: Cayman Islands Fire Service
Small fire extinguished at landfill
The Cayman Islands Fire Service extinguished a small surface fire at the George Town landfill on Tuesday evening.
New acting fire chief, deputies named
The Cayman Islands Fire Service has new leadership. Brevon Elliot has been named as the acting chief fire officer and the deputy chief fire officer for aviation.
Fire Service looks to groom new leadership
The Ministry of Financial Services and Home Affairs sent a notice late last month inviting Cayman Islands Fire Service personnel to participate in coaching for the positions of captain and lieutenant.
Fire, ambulance, police now have same dispatch system
The Cayman Islands Fire Service dispatch system is now one and the same as the dispatch systems for police and ambulance services.
Acting chief fire officer appointed to replace Hails
Divisional Officer Witney Tatum has been appointed as the acting chief of the Cayman Islands Fire Service effective Friday.
Hails: Fire officers mishandled airport landing
Government said on Friday that it will investigate a November incident where Cayman Islands Fire Service officers allegedly followed improper protocol for the landing of a 767 jet at Owen Roberts International Airport, and where fire service records on the incident were later altered.
Fire Service says residents were safe from quarry fire
A quarry fire in Bodden Town that smoldered for several weeks was never a risk to residents in the surrounding areas, according to the Cayman Islands Fire Service.
Arson suspected in car fire
Police are investigating a Saturday morning arson of a car in George Town.
Small fire lit, extinguished at Northward
A small fire was lit Thursday evening in a cell by an inmate at the men’s prison, HMP Northward, according to a government press release. Emergency services were called and the Cayman Islands Fire Service attended the scene to confirm the fire was extinguished.
UPDATE: Fire Service watches ‘hot spots’ in South Sound tire-fill fire
A fire that had been smoldering in a pile of shredded tires in South Sound since at least Thursday was extinguished on Saturday, according to the Cayman Islands Fire Service.
Shredded tire fire in South Sound
Cayman Islands firefighters have extinguished a fire at a smoldering mound of shredded tires in South Sound.
Jackhammer thief gets suspended sentence
A former employee of the Cayman Islands Fire Service received a one-month suspended sentence on Thursday after pleading guilty to stealing a jackhammer from the Fire Service.
Police: Prospect house fire ‘arson’
The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service is investigating a suspected arson in Prospect, George Town Tuesday night.
Fire Service team tests its search and rescue capabilities
Swimmers and beachgoers in the territory’s waters should feel safer, as the Cayman Islands Fire Service now has the training and capacity to carry out inshore search and rescue missions.
Emergency services launch mock rescue exercise
Officers from the Fire Service, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service and the Department of Public Safety Communications (911) gather at the waterfront in West Bay Wednesday afternoon to take part in a mock near-shore search and rescue operation.
Man arrested following West Bay fire
Police arrested a 32-year-old man on suspicion of arson after a residence in which 12 people were living was destroyed by fire Tuesday. The suspect was a resident of the property, police said.
Fire Service vehicle collides with SUV
A woman was slightly injured Tuesday afternoon when her Honda CR-V collided with an emergency fire vehicle at the intersection of Shedden and North Sound roads.
Two West Bay homes catch fire Wednesday
Two house fires took place in West Bay on Wednesday morning, one on Birch Tree Hill Road and the other on Watercourse Road.
Home affairs: ‘Working fast’ to fix fire service
Some of the “significant uncertainty” referred to in a recent consultant study of the Cayman Islands Fire Service was on display during the Legislative Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee hearings over the past two weeks, as committee members reviewed the findings from the $80,000 report.
Kirkland Nixon passes away
Kirkland Nixon, Cayman’s first chief fire officer, died on Monday, April 30. Mr. Nixon, who was in his early seventies, died at the Cayman Islands Hospital shortly before 7 a.m. after a short illness.
Update: Arrest made in police car arson
Police make a quick arrest in connection with an arson involving two patrol vehicles.
Pickup truck fire extinguished in George Town
A Ford pickup truck in George Town was reported on fire early Monday morning.
Overnight quarry fire in East End extinguished
A brush fire reported in the East End district of Grand Cayman late Tuesday was extinguished after nine hours, fire officials said.
Three car fires reported over Valentine’s Day
The Cayman Islands Royal Police Service reported three vehicle fires on Valentine’s Day.
Third drowning in a week
Three people drowned in separate incidents after getting into difficulties while swimming or snorkeling in Cayman waters in a week – two on the same day.
PwC report: Staffing issues plague fire service
Cayman Islands Chief Fire Officer David Hails is under contract for just one more year, and five of the six senior officers directly reporting to him are currently “acting” – not permanently appointed – in those jobs. The situation has led to significant uncertainty in the Cayman Islands Fire Service, according to a report.
Senior police officer’s cars set alight
Police and the Cayman Islands Fire Service are investigating an early morning fire Sunday outside a home in Ryan’s Retreat in George Town that engulfed three cars, two of which belonged to a senior police officer.
EDITORIAL – ‘Matchstick homes’: A clear and present danger in Cayman
To prevent future conflagrations – and possible deadly tragedies – officials from relevant departments must step up to ensure that every dwelling in these islands is safe for human habitation.
Firefighters host annual toy giveaway
Grand Cayman’s Airport Park was filled with children, parents, firefighters and motorcycle enthusiasts on Saturday, Dec. 16, as the Cayman Islands Fire Service hosted its annual picnic and toy giveaway.
Prison building ‘beyond repair’ after lightning strike
A Sept. 27 lightning strike at Northward Prison has left the facility’s main supply storage building “beyond repair,” officials confirmed Tuesday.
Fire services review
Today's editorial cartoon
EDITORIAL – Fire service review: Shouldn’t Chief Hails be the ‘first responder?’
If the Ministry of Home Affairs has concerns about the fire service, the first call should be to Chief Hails. Ask what resources he needs to do his job, and then provide them.
Cayman Fire Service faces yet another review
About two years after a scathing report questioned the basic operational and management competencies at the Cayman Islands Fire Service, the department is facing another consultant study aimed at “ensuring the overall effectiveness” of local firefighting. The cost of the latest fire service review is $65,000.
Fire drills raise smoke
Plumes of dark smoke visible over George Town are part of training exercises for firefighter recruits, according to the Cayman Islands Fire Service. The exercises are being conducted at the training grounds behind Owen Roberts International Airport.
Smoke rises from Fire Service exercises
Plumes of dark smoke visible over George Town are part of firefighter recruits’ training exercises.
EDITORIAL-We’ve got your number … Or wish we had
When the next emergency occurs, officials should use every tool at their disposal, via every medium to ensure vital information is being sent and received.
Firefighters tackle tank blaze at fuel terminal for eight hours
Firefighters battled for eight hours on Sunday and Monday to put out a fire inside a diesel tank at the Cayman Islands fuel depot at Jackson Point on South Church Street.
UK Navy arrives for disaster response exercises
Some crew members of the RFA Mounts Bay landing ship, background, right, arrive in the George Town harbor Thursday morning.
Fireman loses job 2 days after being jailed for firearm offense
Two days after being sentenced in Grand Court to five-and-a-half years in prison for a firearm offense, Fabian Oliver Thompson lost his job as an officer with the Cayman Islands Fire Service.
EDITORIAL – Fire service overtime: 69,000 hours … 69,000 hours?!
Almost as bad as the fire service’s reliance on overtime is the explanation offered for it – that some firefighters have taken high numbers of sick days.
Report: Firefighters battle staff shortages
Cayman Islands firefighters who worked on holidays between December 2015 and this year apparently went unpaid and are due back pay immediately, according to a draft report from the government’s Internal Audit Unit that was released to the press last week.
Investigations continue into Fire Service vehicle crash
Police and the Fire Service are carrying out separate investigations into a road traffic accident in which a fire rescue vehicle collided with a bicycle and a utility pole in West Bay on Monday morning. According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday evening, the ministry is working with the two departments to ensure the incident is “thoroughly investigated.”
Fire vehicle, bicycle in West Bay crash
A cyclist was hospitalized Monday morning with serious injuries following a collision with a fire service vehicle in West Bay. “An officer with the Cayman Islands Fire Service was the driver of the fire rescue vehicle that crashed into a utility pole. A cyclist was also involved in the incident.”
UPDATED: Firefighters respond to backyard boat fire
The Cayman Islands Fire Service responded to a backyard boat fire in South Sound on Sunday afternoon.
The plume of smoke could be seen as far...
Gov’t warned about fire truck rollovers after 2005 incident
The Cayman Islands Fire Service was warned in October 2005 about the potential for its fire engines to tip over at relatively low turning speeds, the Cayman Compass can reveal. The warning came after a police investigation of a rollover accident involving a T-2500 model fire engine in January 2005.
Fire Service christens new rescue boat
When they broke a bottle of sparkling apple cider over the new Cayman Islands Fire Service boat, it had already been used in one rescue in the North Sound.
Firefighters train for aviation emergencies
Members of the Cayman Islands Fire Service tackled a mock airplane blaze last week as part of a two-week training course to prepare firefighters for potential aviation disasters.
West Bay’s fire station lends helping hand
West Bay’s fire station staff recently came together to help out a member of the community.
Services recruitment drive draws hundreds
More than 250 applications were submitted at a recruitment drive on Wednesday by those seeking to join the emergency and prison services.
Beach Bay home damaged in Friday night fire
A fire damaged a home Friday evening in the Beach Bay neighborhood in Bodden Town,
Three years on, fire service remains short-staffed
Chronic short-staffing problems that led to a one-year overtime bill of nearly $1 million for the Cayman Islands Fire Service still exist at the department, three years after government auditors identified the issue and managers promised to correct it.
Vehicle inspector crashes car during test drive
Johnny Salas was going to sell his 1996 Toyota Supra after getting it registered at the Cayman Islands Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing Monday.
EDITORIAL – Firefighters’ three-alarm mold emergency
People who become professional firefighters expect to encounter certain occupational hazards. Mold, however, isn’t one of them.
Mold found in all fire stations
Significant mold damage has been found in all three Grand Cayman fire stations, Chief Fire Officer David Hails confirmed last week.
Auditors: Gov’t not shopping around
The Cayman Islands government’s internal auditors could find no evidence that bids went out for 18 separate payments totaling nearly $1.5 million in various public sector procurements during the 2013/14 financial year.
Fireman charged with imitation firearm offense
Fabian Oliver Thompson, 33, appeared in Summary Court on Tuesday, charged with possession of an imitation firearm with intent to commit an offense.
New fire chief begins work
Although he does not have a uniform yet, new Cayman Islands Chief Fire Officer David Hails officially started work on Tuesday.
Suspicious fires gut apartment, SUV
Separate fires damage an apartment and an SUV overnight Saturday in central George Town.
A month-by-month roundup of Cayman’s 2015 news stories
Top stories of 2015 in the Cayman Islands
Fire officers welcome home ill colleague
Officers from the Cayman Islands Fire Service turned out in force at the tarmac at Owen Roberts International Airport on Monday to welcome home Station Officer Percival Whorms.
CarePay trial: Cash from AIS deal went to Watson's business, says Crown
About US$100,000 from a bank account held by the local company which was a partner in the CarePay swipe card project was transferred in December 2010 to a business in which Canover Watson was a part owner, Crown prosecutors said Thursday.
New fire chief plans focus on response times, risk management
David Hails underwent what he described as a “baptism by fire” this week during an unannounced visit to the Cayman Islands, where he was introduced as the new chief fire officer.
'Hails' to the chief: Cayman's new top firefighter
Based on his résumé, the hiring of David Hails as chief fire officer appears to be an unqualified recruitment triumph.
UK fire service veteran named new chief
For the first time since the Cayman Islands Fire Service was created, a non-Caymanian has been appointed to lead the department.
NCVO Radio Telethon is still going strong
The National Council of Voluntary Organisations is hoping that the public will dig deep into their pockets and pledge their support once again at the annual radio/telethon.
Key government posts in limbo
The senior ranks of Cayman's civil service are filled with "acting," but not the Hollywood kind.
More than 100 ready to shave heads for Hannah
More than 100 people have signed up to have their heads shaved at the third annual Heroes for Hannah shave event to raise money for childhood cancer research.
Diverted ambulances delay response to heart attack victim
It took an ambulance crew nearly 30 minutes to reach an unresponsive heart attack victim in North Side Monday because there were no available ambulances in the area, according to 911 records of the call.
Fire chief on 'required leave'
Cayman's fire chief has been suspended pending an investigation into a hit-and-run accident.
Acting fire chief arrested in hit-and-run
Cayman's acting fire chief is arrested in connection with a January hit-and-run accident that left a 14-year-old hospitalized for months.
