Caribbean Times 88th Issue - Thursday 8th September 2016

6 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g
Thursday 8th September 2016
Emergency responders forge closer
ties in response to residential fires
With the recent increase in residential
fires and deaths that are associated with
them, two of the country’s emergency responders
have decided to form an even
closer alliance in a bid to save more lives.
Head of the Emergency Medical Services,
Shawn Greenidge, announced that
beginning this month, an ambulance will
also be dispatched whenever the Fire Department
is responding to a residential
fire. He said that the move will be more
effective as they won’t have to wait for
the fire fighters to call from the actual
scene of the blaze.
“I had a meeting with the E911 dispatch
supervisor, Mr. Ivor Luke and we
came to an agreement that from now on,
whenever there is a call for the fire service,
an ambulance will be immediately
dispatched as well. And dispatching the
ambulance augers well in terms of the
occupants of the building but we are also
looking at the safety and wellbeing of the
fire crew who are also vulnerable to the
fire and smoke inhalation”, Greenidge
The Ministry of Education,
Science and Technology
is responding to claims made
by a parent that his daughter
was “thrown out of primary
school without notice.”
An article appearing in the
Daily Observer of Wednesday
7 th September, 2016, headlined
‘Six year old kicked out
of school’, detailed the parent’s
account that his child, a
Five Islands Primary student
was “expelled” after being
labelled a “slow learner” by
school authorities. The Ministry
through its Director of
Education Mr. Clare Browne,
says no 6 six year-old child
was expelled. The Director
outlined that in order for a
child to be expelled, a meeting
must be held with executives
of the Ministry, in accordance
with the Education Act of Antigua
and Barbuda 2008. It
is only the Director who has
the authority to do so, and no
decision was taken in that regard.
The Ministry of Education,
Science and Technology
is reiterating that every child
is entitled to an education. No
child will be refused an education
based on colour, race,
mental illness, physical handicap
or otherwise (Education
Act Section. 29).
Mr. Browne stated the
parent of the 6 year-old was
advised to return the student
to Five Islands Primary, pending
the outcome of a second
assessment as per the request
of her father. An initial evaluation
was carried out and
among the recommendations
was that the pupil be transferred
to a neighbouring primary
school that has a special
Head of the Emergency Medical Services,
Shawn Greenidge, left, and Head of training,
Morvin Fiedtkou.
said.
The EMS Department has also intensified
its training programme for staff and
a number of refresher courses are being
organised.
Head of training, Morvin Fiedtkou
declared that starting this week, the division
will embark on a number of sessions
to remind the operators of the procedures
that are paramount to carrying out their
duties more effectively.
“We here at EMS take these matters
very seriously, our EMT’s are trained fully
to deal with patients who receive burns
but nonetheless we the management see
it fit to do a refresher course again to
remind the staff of the procedures and
guidelines in treating burn patients because
as you know what you were taught
three years ago might be irrelevant today
so we have gone ahead and acquire some
new literature and now all fourteen members
of staff will be refreshed and updated
on any recent information”, Fiedtkou
noted.
Fiedtkou also said that the department
is always looking for new information
and new materials to make the department
more efficient and modern.
“I know the staff knows what they
have been taught before; some have been
taught five years ago and some three
years but in this field our goal is also to
keep current, the latest ideas, the latest
guidelines, the latest research and testing
our staff in the field and this is what evidence
based practice is all about”, Fiedtkou
concluded.
Education Director responds to newspaper article
programme and is staffed with
special education teachers.
The Ministry of Education,
Science and Technology is assuring
the public that it makes
every effort to ensure students
succeed, and is mindful that
everyone can learn though not
at the same pace.
As far as the Ministry is
concerned, the issue was addressed
and dialogue will
continue with the parents of
the student. However, from its
end, discussions on a 6 yearold
will not continue to play
out in the public domain.