News

After three months the Cayman Islands Fire Service (CIFS) has said farewell to a visiting training instructor from the United Kingdom.

Gary Wright of Newcastle International Training Academy trained over 60 Caymanian fire service staff in a range of topics, following his arrival on Island in February 2021. Courses included: instructor level training in breathing apparatus, aviation certification and train the trainer.

Chief Fire Officer Paul Walker QFSM stated: “The global COVID-19 pandemic has made it challenging for CIFS colleagues to attend training courses overseas. Arranging for a qualified instructor to join us for three months was a good substitute. Employees’ performance and feedback showed that all courses were successful and well received.”

Thanking CIFS for its hospitality and support, Mr Wright commented: “In numerous training courses conducted over the 13-week period, firefighters in both the aviation and domestic sectors showed passion, knowledge, and a wealth of experience. The 16 CIFS recruits, who had been through intensive theoretical and practical training, also passed their assessments with exceptional results.”

“These personnel will great assets for CIFS moving forward and I want to congratulate everyone who took part on their achievement”, Mr Wright added.

Stressing the importance of continued professional development, Home Affairs Minister, Hon. Bernie Bush, said “Hearing first-hand about these courses and training reinforces my belief that Cayman Islands Fire Service is moving in the right direction by investing in this kind of training for staff.”