During the morning and afternoon hours on Thursday, a graduation ceremony took place in which 21 firefighters were certified for successfully completing the course “Manschap B”. The Minister of Justice Rocco Tjon was present to hand out the diplomas.
Emilio Geerman of the Management Team explained that this is the first time this course has been offered to the firefighters. This diploma titled “Manschap B Caribisch Nederland 2.0.” is a part of the new education model based on the new cooperation between the CAS islands (Curacao, Aruba, and Sint Maarten), BES (Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba) and The Netherlands.
This diploma changed the firefighter’s roles on the firetruck, where they were first only able to assist in the proceedings. Now they can also serve as drivers in addition to other tasks.
This course only needs to be passed once, but there will be further training once processes change or evolve in time.
22 firefighters participated in the course, and 21 passed the exam on the first try. The remaining member will be able to take a resit. This course is a way to allow the firefighters to continue growing. Instructors came from The Netherlands and Sint Maarten to give the classes in the course of one year.
Geerman congratulates the graduates for their hard work throughout the year, as it were lessons provided outside of their regular work schedule. It was definitely a challenge for all the participants.
In just a few years, they will be able to participate in a course to become a commander. This title serves as the captain of the firetruck. There are currently 8 commanders and 4 chiefs. Hopefully, they will continue to learn and grow and by the first quarter of 2025, we should see 24 new captains.
