Cooperation continues between Fire Depts.

Management of the St. Maarten and the Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba) Fire Departments met recently at the fi re station in Cay Hill.

The Fire Departments of the four islands have been working together for a number of years already, albeit on a more informal level. It was deemed necessary to foster this cooperation in a more structured manner, so a meeting of the two departments was organised to discuss common issues.

Each department presented its current state of affairs at the meeting, as well as plans for the future. The intention was to identify commonalities and cooperation possibilities.

The meeting’s conclusion was that there are multiple possibilities to join forces and work on several projects together. It was decided the cooperation would focus on education, training, examination, capacity building, material, policy planning and disaster management.

It also was decided during the meeting that it would be wise to formalise this cooperation in an agreement. Parties will work on a draft and present it to the relevant authorities in due course for approval and signing.

All participants are looking forward to a fruitful and successful cooperation in the years to come. These meetings will be held on a regular basis.

The hope was expressed that Aruba and Curaçao would be able to join in the near future.

The Daily Herald.