Firefighters in the country commemorated International Firefighters’ Day yesterday with a ceremony to celebrate their bravery and dedication and that of their colleagues around the world and to remember those who have lost their lives in the course of their duties.

During the ceremony which took place at the New Port fire station, Home Affairs Minister Charles Bastienne launched a weeklong of activities during which firefighters from the Seychelles Fire & Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA) and the Seychelles Airport Fire Services (SAFS) will be in the forefront raising public awareness on fire safety – both at home and at workplaces. This will be through a week-long exhibition being held at the New Port fire station, talks and educational sessions at district level, fire safety quiz among other activities.

The Seychelles Petroleum Company (SEYPEC) has acquired a new Industrial Fire Fighting Foam Pumper. The fire fighting truck being a new addition for SEYPEC, is a 4x2 Refinery Foam Pumper which boasts a 7,000 litre Foam Tank capacity, manufactured by one of the leading specialized manufacturers of fire fighting vehicles; Marcé Fire Fighting Technology in South Africa.

Firefighters have almost completely extinguished a fire that has been ravaging an area of the Port Glaud district on the western coast of the Seychelles main island of Mahé since yesterday evening.

Several fire engines had to be deployed to help contain the blaze, which started at around 6:30 pm last night and spread quickly, aided by the wind.

The rugged nature of the terrain hampered the efforts of firefighters, who were only able to prevent the flames from spreading further at around 3:00 am local time with the help of nearby residents.

"Firefighters have been on site since this morning and we managed to find a river to extinguish the last remaining flames that may pose a threat and reignite the fire,” the spokesperson of the Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency Jones Madeleine, told SNA.

GIS – November 19, 2014:   A Memorandum of Understanding, aiming to create the necessary framework and mechanism to allow a better understanding of issues relating to fire and other emergency threats common to both Mauritius and Seychelles would be signed.

Improving safety standards in the country so as to minimise the risk of fire is the focus of a one-week course being held for firefighters.

Organised by the Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA), the course on fire inspection and enforcement code level 1 was officially opened yesterday at the Maritime Training Centre (MTC), Providence.

Through the training, the SFRSA aims to empower its staff with the necessary knowledge in enforcing the law and regulation of the service. 

The course is also part of the SFRSA’s strategic plan to develop and implement an effective public education programme on safety and fire prevention and to strengthen institutional capacity. 

The course is being run by Dennis Locker from Emergency Training Solutions (ETS) of South Africa. 

Addressing those taking part, chief fire officer Andre Morel said that the SFRSA believes in the development of its staff and management will continue to explore every possible avenue to ensure that more and more staff are given the opportunity to follow training both locally and abroad.

Twelve firefighters from the Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA) are attending a two-week ‘Fire Officer 1’ course.
The training was officially launched yesterday at the Seychelles Institute of Teacher Education (Site), Mont Fleuri.

The SFRSA’s divisional officer, Regis Bethew, said in his opening speech that the SFRSA is very committed with its ongoing development programmes whereby staff capacity is one of the core obligations which remain on top of its agenda all year round. 

“We totally believe in such investment as it is worthwhile and the only way forward in order to keep improving the continuity of the agency’s capability to give reliable support or assistance to members of the public and community at large, mainly in fire protection and life threatening situation. This course is indeed another step in this direction,” Mr Bethew said.

The course instructor, Andre Raijmakers, urged all those attending the course to make the most of it. 
“You will be able to take forward what you are learning and how to face challenges. We will also talk about how the local fire service work and how to become good leaders in every situation.”

After the two weeks of training, all those who are taking part will receive a certificate.