Fire Brigade’s Hanover branch appeals for end to crank calls
Published:Saturday | February 14, 2026 | 12:08 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
Citing the strain on its limited resources, the Hanover branch of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) is urging individuals making crank calls to its emergency number to end the practice that could potentially cost persons their lives.
“It’s not only a Hanover divisional problem, but also a national problem as those false alarms can have several implications and cause the loss of life and property when real needs arise simultaneously,” acting Superintendent Oniel Henry, the divisional head of JFB Lucea branch, told The Gleaner in a recent interview.
During Thursday’s monthly meeting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation, acting Assistant Superintendent Emellio Sommerville, who is also assigned to JFB Lucea, stressed the need for persons making such calls to stop, noting that the Hanover division received three such calls during the month of January.
“False alarms are becoming a cause for concern within this parish once again, especially against the background of our limited resources,” he stated.
With 13 genuine fire calls received and responded to in the division during the month of January, Sommerville pointed out that the fires put properties valued approximately J$86 million at risk. Of that, the actions of fire personnel saved $80 million in property value.
Sommerville further noted that any one of the genuine calls could have occurred while fire personnel were out responding to a false alarm call, which certainly could have caused different results.
Turning his attention to the emergency medical service (EMS) assigned to the JFB Hanover Division, Sommerville said the ambulance is still in need of mechanical repairs and, as such, the EMS personnel have to be collaborating and working with the ambulance service at the Noel Holmes Hospital in Lucea.
“EMS demand doubled, rising from 12 calls in December 2025, to 24 in January 2026. Medical-related calls increased by 200 per cent, rising from six calls in December 2025 to 18 cases in January 2026, becoming the dominant EMS demand in January,” he said.
Sommerville also noted that the demand for increased service is taking place at a time when the JFB ambulance is out of service as it undergoes mechanical repairs.
According to Sommerville’s report, December 2025 was a fire-intensive month, driven primarily by bush fires and high property exposure, while January 2026 reflected a shift towards medical emergencies. The report cited a persistent EMS capacity gap, with demand increasing while response capability remains severely constrained.