JIS: To protect and safeguard the lives of educators and students in schools from fire, the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) has purchased 80 first-aid kits, 120 fire extinguishers, 120 smoke detectors, 40 wash hand signs and 40 emergency assembly signs, which will be distributed among 40 schools across the island.
This donation, valued at approximately $3.3 million, forms part of JSIF’s Integrated Community Development Project’s (ICDP) sub-project, titled Schools Ancillary Workers Training Project.
The items were handed over to the Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid; members of the Jamaica Fire Brigade; and other stakeholders at JSIF’s headquarters on Oxford Road in Kingston on Thursday (July 5).
Senator Reid thanked JSIF for its donation, noting that at the Ministry, “our number-one priority is safety… and we’re happy that JSIF has been able to assist on the journey”.
He also commended JSIF for implementing the Schools Ancillary Workers Training Project, which has taken on the cost to train ancillary workers, educators and administrative staff at various schools on how to respond to fire with safety equipment.
“I endorse this particular initiative and training programme, where our auxiliary workers will be trained in fire and security,” Senator Reid said.
For his part, Managing Director, JSIF, Omar Sweeney, said his organisation is determined to assist with safeguarding the lives of the nation’s children against fires, thus the main reason it made the donation.
“The Jamaica Social Investment Fund is pleased to celebrate another milestone of impacting individuals in a positive way by providing support to schools in the various communities through the Integrated Community Development Project,” Mr. Sweeney said.
“Under this project, JSIF has taken the initiative to provide the schools with extensive training in specialised areas in order to support the Government’s policy of providing capacity building for citizens at the highest quality,” he added.
In addition to this donation, Mr. Sweeney said JSIF has forged partnerships for the training of teachers and ancillary workers with the Jamaica Fire Brigade regarding fire-prevention measures (valued at approximately $1.84 million) and the Heart Foundation of Jamaica as it relates to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid (valued at approximately $4.3 million).
CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (second right), examines one of the 120 fire extinguishers that were handed over by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) on Thursday (July 5) at their office in Kingston. Sharing in the moment are (from left): General Manager, Technical Services Division, JSIF, Loy Malcolm; General Manager, JSIF, Omar Sweeney and Acting Assistant Commissioner, Jamaica Fire Brigade, Floyd McLean.