News
TCIFRS and TCIAA Fire Teams Represent Turks and Caicos at 2025 Caribbean Fire Chiefs Conference in Jamaica
PRESS RELEASE
FROM THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE (TCIFRS)
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 23rd May 2025 – The Turks and Caicos Islands Fire and Rescue Service (“TCIFRS”), in partnership with the Fire Service Division of the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (“TCIAA”), proudly represented the Turks and Caicos Islands at the 2025 Caribbean Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC) Conference and Leadership Symposium. The event was held in Negril, Jamaica from May 11th to 17th under the theme “Fostering Regional Collaboration for Enhanced Emergency Response.”
This premier regional gathering brought together senior leaders, operational officers, and strategic partners from across the Caribbean to refine emergency response strategies, reinforce inter-agency cooperation, and elevate leadership standards within fire services.
Representing the Turks and Caicos Islands were:
- Adderley Selver, Chief Fire Officer, TCIFRS
- Acharo Harvey, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, TCIFRS
- Carlon Bassett, Fire Safety Officer, TCIFRS
- Kenrick Hackett, Executive Fire Services Manager, TCIAA
- Iverson Richards, Aerodrome Firefighter, TCIAA
- Tyrone Bishop, Aerodrome Firefighter, TCIAA
Delegates participated in the Senior Officers Leadership Academy (“SOLA”) and Junior Officers Leadership Academy (“JOLA”), which featured training modules on strategic decision-making in high-risk environments, legal and ethical responsibilities in fire service management, psychological resilience, and advanced incident command simulations. Complex scenarios including high-rise structure fires and airport emergencies formed part of rigorous tabletop and tactical response exercises.
A key highlight of the conference was the prominent role played by Kenrick Hackett, Executive Fire Services Manager and current President of the Caribbean Association of Fire Chiefs, who served as a lead panellist on regional leadership integration and strategic incident command. His contributions reflected the Turks and Caicos Islands’ rising leadership in shaping regional fire and rescue protocols.
The delegation returned home with sharpened technical skills, innovative strategies, and a renewed vision for improving emergency preparedness and public safety. Both TCIFRS and TCIAA are now integrating key insights from the symposium into local training regimens and operational procedures, with an emphasis on measurable performance improvements.
Equally important is a reinvigorated commitment to public education and engagement. The services will be intensifying island-wide community outreach programs to raise awareness on fire prevention, household preparedness, and emergency planning which is part of a broader initiative to instil a culture of safety that begins long before any alarm is sounded.
In a joint statement, Chief Fire Officer Adderley Selver and Deputy Chief Fire Officer Acharo Harvey emphasized:
“The CAFC 2025 Conference marks a significant milestone in our ongoing mission to advance professional standards, reinforce inter-agency collaboration, and lead with integrity. Our participation—alongside our skilled colleagues from the Airports
Authority—has equipped us with insights and practical tools to refine our protocols and elevate leadership within our ranks. As we implement these lessons, we are equally committed to deepening public understanding of fire safety. Education and engagement are pillars of resilience. By fostering awareness and personal responsibility among our citizens, we build stronger, safer communities together.
We return from Jamaica not only better prepared, but deeply motivated to lead that effort from the front.”
The Honourable Otis Morris, Minister of Public Safety and Utilities, commended the delegation, stating:
“I extend heartfelt congratulations to the men and women of our Fire and Rescue Services for proudly representing the Turks and Caicos
Islands on the regional stage. Their active involvement in the Caribbean Fire Chiefs Conference is not only a testament to their professionalism, but also reflects our government’s unwavering commitment to strengthening public safety institutions. This type of regional engagement enriches our frontline capabilities, exposes our officers to world-class best practices, and brings back lessons that enhance both response time and public trust. I am especially proud of the leadership role played by Mr. Kenrick Hackett, whose contributions reinforce that the Turks and Caicos Islands are not only participants, but leaders in Caribbean fire safety.”
The Ministry of Public Safety and Utilities added:
“We recognize the vital role that fire and rescue services play in safeguarding life, property, and national resilience. The Ministry is proud to support the professional development of our officers and remains committed to ensuring that the necessary resources, policies, and partnerships are in place to sustain high standards of excellence across the sector.”
This participation at the CAFC 2025 Conference is not just an achievement for the services involved it is a national accomplishment. It signifies growth, vision, and the deepening of a professional culture that places service, safety, and leadership at its core.
TCIG knew from April that fuel factor could surge almost 80%; Minister says $500 cost-of-living payment was part of Government’s response
PROVIDENCIALES — The Turks and Caicos Government knew months before July’s shocking electricity bills that consumers faced a potentially massive increase in the fuel factor.
Minister of Information Technology and Energy E. Jay Saunders revealed Friday that Pelican Energy warned his Ministry in April that generation fuel costs were projected to rise from $3.09 per gallon in May to $4.79 in June and July.
That translated into a projected fuel factor jump from about 17.5 cents to 31 cents per kilowatt-hour — an increase of almost 80%.
Saunders said he personally advised Cabinet of the projected increase and presented options for cushioning the impact.
He characterised Government’s $500 cost-of-living payment as its “initial response” to rising fuel costs, before a separate fuel-factor subsidy was approved.
Cabinet records show Government agreed on June 24 to provide funding to mitigate the fuel-factor impact, with the relief programme approved July 8.
Eligible residential customers — those averaging less than $1,500 monthly over the previous three bills — are capped at 22 cents per kWh from July through October.
Pelican confirmed Friday that Government’s contribution was already applied to July bills, meaning the bills now triggering widespread public outrage would have been even higher without the subsidy.
Saunders did not disclose the programme’s total cost.
His admission that Government knew since April, however, raises another question amid the backlash: why were consumers not directly warned by Government about the scale of the approaching increase?
NASSAU, Bahamas — More Bahamians are accessing HIV and sexually transmitted infection-related healthcare through National Health Insurance, a trend the NHI Authority says should be viewed positively.
NHIA stressed in an August 6 statement that its 2025 figures measure healthcare utilisation, not newly diagnosed infections. They include beneficiaries screened, treated, monitored or receiving follow-up care, including people diagnosed previously.
“Increased utilisation of these services should be viewed as a positive development,” NHIA said.
The Authority pointed to “greater enrolment and use of NHI, improved access to screening and testing, continued treatment and monitoring of existing conditions, and increased willingness to seek medical care.”
The development comes amid a mixed three-year HIV picture. New diagnoses rose from 130 in 2023 to 156 in 2024, before declining to 142 in 2025.
NHIA said increased utilisation demonstrates that more beneficiaries are accessing needed healthcare and actively managing their health, reinforcing the importance of screening, early diagnosis and continued treatment.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Americas has recorded 47,459 confirmed measles cases and 44 deaths in 2026, the region’s highest case count in 22 years, prompting the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to urge stronger vaccination, surveillance and rapid outbreak response.
As of July 18, cases were already more than triple the 15,011 recorded during all of 2025. Guatemala, Mexico, the United States and Peru
account for 95% of confirmed cases. Guatemala leads with 30,371 cases and 26 deaths, followed by Mexico with 12,255 cases and 17 deaths.
PAHO classifies the regional public health risk as very high, citing active outbreaks, immunity gaps, international travel and populations with inadequate vaccination coverage.
The organization says prevention starts with vaccination. Countries are being urged to achieve and maintain at least 95% coverage with two doses of measles-containing vaccine, particularly protecting children and under-vaccinated communities.
Measles spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. Symptoms can include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash.
PAHO is urging health authorities to detect suspected cases early and respond rapidly to stop transmission. Unvaccinated and under-vaccinated people, young children and communities with limited healthcare access face increased risk of severe illness and death.
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