DISTRICT officer for the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) Westmoreland Division Norris Mitchell is imploring residents to refrain from placing building material such as marl and sand on fire hydrants.

He said that these materials cause blockage, which impedes the effectiveness of the hydrants in allowing firefighters to access a steady flow of water during an operation.

“[For firefighters] it is very hard to work with such situations, [especially] when they go out to inspect the hydrants. In the case where something happens in an area and when you go there the hydrant is covered with building material such as marl or sand or something [else], this is making our work much more difficult,” he said.

Mitchell was addressing the monthly meeting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation held in Savanna-la-Mar, recently.

He, meanwhile, told the meeting that a standby generator has been installed at the Savanna-la-Mar Fire Station in the parish.

“[The generator] was commissioned into service in April… so that means that whenever the power is out we will still be up and running,” Mitchell said.

He added that the division remains committed to spreading the message of fire prevention to citizens in the parish.

The Westmoreland Municipal Corporation meets monthly to discuss matters relating to local governance.