A few days after the Jamaica Fire Brigade gave Government an ultimatum to begin talks on a new salary structure, a St Andrew businessman on Tuesday presented nine firefighters at the Half-Way-Tree Fire Station in St Andrew with tokens of appreciation for saving his business from ruin. But the ceremony was cut short when a call came in about a blaze at Headley Avenue, forcing the firefighters to rush to the scene.

However, by the time the team got to the location, a concrete, wood, and zinc house had been razed. The authorities suspect the fire was deliberately set.

Sergeant Eugene Grant, who led the operation, said he was peeved that there was nothing they could have done to save the house at 36 Headley Avenue. A preliminary estimate of the damage was set at $350,000.

“When we got here, the entire building was engulfed and we did what we had to do to attack the blaze. As per usual with fires, it was chaotic, but being the professionals we are, we know what to do. We usually respond in less than a minute after we get a call. There was nothing else we could have done,” he said.

The firefighters told the Jamaica Observer that residents had attempted to put out the blaze themselves instead of calling the fire brigade the minute they were aware of the fire. They encouraged Jamaicans to know the direct lines for the emergency services closest to them in order to reduce delays and save lives and property.

Earlier at the fire station, Damian Lyn, managing director of Alternative Power Sources Limited, expressed hope that the firefighters will be adequately compensated, given the risks associated with their job.

Lyn said he was moved to present gifts to the firefighters who had saved his property and business from total destruction after a fireworks cannister, which had been lit on New Year’s Eve, landed in his warehouse and ignited.

“I got a call at 3:15 am informing me of the fire. When I arrived, the firefighters had already extinguished the fire. A district officer who led the team said I didn’t look sad like most people. I told him I didn’t look sad because the damage would be 10 times worse if he did not come on time,” Lyn related and encouraged Jamaicans not to take for granted the people who contribute to their well-being and safety.

“If it wasn’t for this team I probably would not be doing an interview with you right now. I would still be committed elsewhere having gone insane wondering how I would get my business back up to pay my staff,” he told the Observer.