February 11, 2010….The Ministry Of Agriculture, Lands, Housing & the Environment, yesterday, in conjunction with the St. Johns Fire Department held a drill aimed at sensitizing employees at the procedure, protocol, and measures to ensure safety during evacuations.

More than 50 –employees at the Ministry’s headquarters on Independence Drive, rushed to safety, when the fire alarm sounded, shortly after 11 a.m.

A fire –engine was parked on the outside and the employees were directed into a holding area, in the court yard.

Inspector Kenrick Davis told workers that the “drill should be taken seriously.”

He added that accounting of personnel is an important aspect of evacuations in an effort to save lives.

“Overlooking a single person in unacceptable in such an instance. So is the needless endangerment of emergency responders looking for a person who is not really trapped,” he said.

He recommended that, assigning small group supervisors or team leaders the responsibility of tracking their employees and keeping a written record of their presence or absence in the facility is one simple method of handling the accountability issue.

In addressing employees the highly anticipated drill, Davis said, “ I am very disappointed”.

He explained that evacuation drills are not just a required nuisance.

“They serve a very important role in responding to an emergency and minimizing loss of lives and injuries. Through proper planning and training you can minimize such. Fires does not say when it is going to come.”

The workers were also given the opportunity to utilize the fire extinguisher, after short training, to put a blaze, being set by fire offices.

Fire Officials present for the drill were Cpl. Teon Connor, Const. Evette Henry and Mitchell Gordon.