National Fire Service Welcomes 27 New Firefighters

The National Fire Service welcomed twenty-seven new members into its ranks today. The graduates of the 11-week fire fighters training course gathered at the House of Culture in Belize City this morning for their passing out ceremony. The group consisting of 26 men and one woman, endured rigorous theory and practical training to become certified. Fire Chief Collin Gillett told Love News that this first cohort were once volunteers, and now they are the first set of new recruits since 2016. 

Colin Gillett, Fire Chief: “All of the recruits were volunteers first. So we had a minimum requirement of at least three years volunteering and those are the ones who were chosen. A lot of people wanted to come on but that’s why you volunteer so you can become the first selected. When that they actually have a criteria, there’s a whole syllabus of things that they have to learn which is why we have a training officer and those guys which is a mix of daily work in the classroom, learning about fire behavior and understanding how it works and things like that, and in the afternoon they actually do the practical. Well, the good thing is as volunteers they’re already aware of most of what we do because as volunteers they have to go through a weekly training regimen. So by the time they got to this point a lot of them already knew basics. We just took them to that next level and started to push them to where we can actually trust that they’ll actually know what they’re doing. We asked for about 60 firefighters additional and the government gave us 80, so we’re happy with that. This cohort out of the first 40 there’s only 27 and we expect that they will be transferred out to different stations where we actually have the need. The ambulance service in the west and in the north actually requires a lot more manpower, so we’re trying to maximize the gaps in those areas.”

Belize City Station Officer Kenneth Mortis, who was one of the trainers, expressed pride in those who made it to the end of the course.  He noted that of the 40 that started only 27 showed determination.

Kenneth Mortis, Belize City Station Supervisor, National Fire Service: “I couldn’t have been more proud in these guys. I believe we actually did what we started out in doing. We fought, we had some setbacks. You know, we started off at 40, as you’re all aware, we finished at 27. I mean that’s a plus for us. The training, like you rightfully heard, was a grueling task. Monday to Saturday, we had some Sunday events. AM, PM we had some night events because we had to get these guys in the mindset of what a fire is all about. A fire won’t tell you I’ll come tomorrow morning, you know, how many times the statistics have shown that fire happens after sunset. If you’re asleep there’s a fire what are you going to do? How are you going to feel? How are you going to deal with it? So our job, our job as instructors, we had to prepare these guys both mentally and physically for the journey ahead. They could have chosen any profession but they chose to be a firefighter. Whatever reason or reasons that’s on them. And the minute you step foot into the fire department that’s a whole new world. That’s a different level and it’s just something that gives that thrill. After many, many years in this profession, whenever I hear that bell, I still get that thrill. I still get that excitement. I trust that these guys that you saw today they move forward on the right foot. They face the challenges that they will, they definitely will face. I want them to face it head on. And I think we have done all that we can do to prepare them for today.”

It would be amiss to not mention that of the 27 new firefighters only one is a woman.  Regardless of gender, Mortis says all will be held to the same standard. 

Kenneth Mortis, Belize City Station Supervisor, National Fire Service: “The world is evolving and there is no difference to the fire department. Whenever a woman comes on board, she is treated in all fairness, without prejudice to sex, none of the sort, she is considered a firefighter. She is considered a brotherhood. She will be expected to perform the duties as rigorous as they may be to that of a firefighter while she has certain expectations as well and those expectations will be delivered both ways.”

The National Fire Service has already begun preparing for a second cohort.