By Prince Moore
Genuine fire calls decreased by 14.2 per cent last year, with 9,775 calls reported, and the number of fire-related deaths also declined by 15.6 per cent.
The details are presented in the Planning Institute of Jamaica's Economic & Social Survey Jamaica, 2024.
The survey said nine parishes recorded a reduction in fires, with the largest decreases observed in St. James, St. Mary, and St. Ann, which accounted for almost two-thirds of the overall decline.
St. Catherine accounted for the largest number of fires, with 2,174, followed by Kingston & St. Andrew with 1,884.
There were 1,759 malicious false alarm calls during the period under review, an increase of 24.5 per cent, compared with the previous year.
Kingston & St. Andrew accounted for 32.1 per cent of the total malicious false alarm calls, followed by St. Catherine 19.2 per cent, and St. James 7.6 per cent.
The data also showed that the number of individuals directly affected by fire increased to 1,742, which was 7.1 per cent higher than the previous year.
The survey said this was influenced by an increase in the number of individuals rendered homeless, primarily civilian adults, which increased by 6.7 per cent.
On the other hand, the number of deaths, decreased by 15.6 per cent.
Civilian adults remained the category primarily affected by fires, accounting for 73.4 per cent.
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