August 29, 2026
Jamaica Fire Brigade defends response to Thursday’s Hagley Park Road fire amidst public criticism
Written byShanice Gibbs
The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) says its assessments and responses to fires are not based on presumption, but on the evidence at the scene, firefighters’ years of training and the technologies they have at their disposal.
The JFB’s comments follow criticisms about the Brigade’s response to a fire which engulfed Superior Parts Limited’s Hagley Park Road facility in St. Andrew on Thursday.
Several nearby homes and businesses were also affected by the blaze.
In a statement, JFB Commissioner Stewart Beckford said that while the cause of the fire is still being investigated, modern, strategic and tactical approaches were employed by the firefighters who contained it.
He said that 80 firefighters from seven stations were deployed to the incident scene.
Civilian staff of the JFB also provided logistical and other support.
The Commissioner noted that the most immediate challenge was to contain the blaze, which was in a heavily urbanised area and being fed by the wide array of lubricants, car parts and other accessories, which are manufactured in pressurised spray cans and other containers.
He added that there was a series of explosions caused by these pressurised containers in the building that had to be urgently addressed.
Commissioner Beckford said that the JFB established a Command Post at the location and implemented an incident command system to provide effective coordination, communication and management of the incident, with a special focus on saving lives and preventing the destruction of the houses located very near to the fire.
He said the JFB had personnel operating on each side of the fire zone to ensure the best response to the situation as it unfolded.
The Fire Chief also confirmed reports about challenges with access to high-pressure water from nearby hydrants and commended the National Water Commission (NWC) for providing rapid support.
He said that the NWC redirected water to the area, which helped tremendously, in addition to the delivery of three water trucks to the scene.
The Commissioner noted that there is no question that the standard of training, the range and sophistication of equipment, logistical systems and service delivery of the Brigade are high, and rapidly approaching first-world benchmarks of performance.
