Firefighters gain international certification

(CMR) Eight firefighters have earned an Institution of Fire Engineers Level 2 Certificate in Fire Science, Operations, and Safety.

There were certified after successfully completing a three-hour, 120 question examination, which they sat in October 2021.

Acting Minister for Home Affairs Hon. Isaac Rankine, who was on hand to present the certificates to the CIFS Firefighters, said:

“I am very proud that a total of 36 Caymanian firefighters have now gained the IFE internationally recognized fire and rescue qualification.”

“Our intention is to continue this trend by supporting personal development across the Fire Service and increasing the number of examination participants as well as the level of qualifications achieved through the tiered examination program with the IFE,” he added.

In 2020 the Cayman Islands Fire Service became a Corporate Member of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE). The IFE is an international body that examines the knowledge and professional experience of fire and rescue personnel across the globe. Membership grades are awarded from Student to Fellow, providing an internationally recognized fire engineering professional framework. 

Commenting on the achievements, Acting Chief Officer for the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Michael Ebanks, said, “Rigorous professional training is at the heart of our mission to build Cayman's resilience through public safety partnerships, innovation, and world-class service delivery. Our firefighters play a key role in that mission, which means we will continue endorsing opportunities that help maximize their personal and professional potential.”

CFO Paul Walker QFSM said, “This is amazing news, and I offer my congratulations to my eight (8) CIFS colleagues that were successful on this occasion. I encourage you all to continue your professional studies and go on to attain IFE Level 3 Certificates. To those CIFS colleagues that were unsuccessful on this attempt, I wish you every success in the future.”

The Cayman Islands Fire Service (CIFS) has been on a journey of self-improvement and professional development over the past few years. As part of this development, CIFS intends to establish a Cayman Islands IFE Branch in which fire and rescue personnel and wider industry partners, such as architects, structural engineers, fire risk assessors, and general engineers, may become members.

All IFE members have the opportunity to gain further professional qualifications through the IFE, and subject to previous experience and accredited prior learning, they can seek Registered Chartered Engineer status. Any person from industry partner companies or agencies that is interested in supporting CIFS to establish a Cayman Islands IFE branch can provide contact details to any of our five community fire stations.