Caribbean Fire Rescue Benevolent Inc

I am an ex-firefighter/fire chief out of New Jersey and Central Florida.  My wife and I own a home on Bimini, Bahamas at Bimini Bay.  We bought it in 2008 as a retirement home.  Since my retirement in 2013 we spend about 4-5 months out of the year living on the Island and we have come to love the Island.  Biminites are some of the most friendly Bahamians that we have met.  Being a firefighter i always look at safety and Bimini has no fire protection.  Whenn we first started going Bimini had a old broken down rusted engine.  Then when a piece of fire protection showed up it was nothing more then a pick up truck with a pump.  Shortly after its arrivals the building burned and took the truck with it.  Since then the only thing the island has is a golf cart with a pump and some hose.  

This past June my wife and I were on the island and noticed heavy black smoke going from the government dock.  We made our way over to it and long behold the mailboat, which brings supplies from Nassau, was burning. There was nothing anyone could do, but whatch it burn freely.  As firefighters do I took pictures and posted them to my Facebook page.  That stared the conversation from my firefighter friends as to where is the fire equipment.  To which I replied “we do not have any”.   That started the campaign.  Tim Neidert, a firefighter friend, said I think I can get a fire engine donated, but we are going to need to get funds to equip it.  

This campaign will be used to equip the engine.  Equipment such as hose, bunker gear, nozzles, breathing apparatus, tools, etc.  We also might needs funds for fire engine mechanics to go through it as well as shipping to the island and lastly any training that will be needed for local Biminites.



BIMINI HAS NO FIRE PROTECTION;

Demographics
· Located 48 nautical miles due east of Fort Lauderdale*
· One of the Family Islands of the Bahamas
· Approximately 3.5 square miles inhabited (3 miles long 2 football fields wide)
· Population Approximately 1200 (Approx 40% Dual Citizens Bahamian/US)
· Unemployment Approximately 50%*
· Economy is made up or fishing and tourism (triples in size at peak tourism times)

National Government
. Hubert Minnis – Bahamian Prime Minister

Local Government
· Brenda Colebrook – Deputy Director of Local Government (Interim Island Administrator)
· Robbie Smith - Chief Councilor (Justice of the Peace)
· Henry Rolle – Chief of Police (FD Responsibility)
· Sir Michael Checkley – Chief Inspector

Emergency Management
· Fire Services responsibility comes under the Royal Bahamian Police Force
· Two police officers trained in firefighting techniques
· No firefighting equipment except for a few lengths of hose
· No Fire Reporting System

Exposures
· 7 Mariners (1 Full Service diesel/gas)
· Diesel Power Generator Plant
· 350 Room 5 story Hilton Hotel
· 2 Story 100 Room Motel (Bimini Big Game)
· 5 Plus Various Hotel/Motel/Cottages/BandBs
· High Density 4 Story Dorms
· 320 Condo/ 80 Single Family Home Resort (CB Construction)
· Manufactured/Mobile Home Community Dorms (Construction Workers and Various Employees)
· Low Income Homes (Various States of Disrepair)
· Numerous Restaurants (Propane Gas Use, High Heat Fryers)
· Propane Filling Area (No Protection or Codes)

Notable Incidents+

· 2006 Complete Angler Burns
o Hotel/Bar/Restaurant
o One Fatality
o Historical Landmark (Ernest Hemingway Hangout)
o Multi Story

· 2011 Police Barracks Burn
o Multiple Individual Buildings
o Arson (Unrest Due to Police Shooting)
o No Injuries

· 2013 Police Garage
o Arson/No Arrests
o Destroyed Pick Up/FD Truck
o No Injuries

· 2017 Hurricane Irma
o Tornado Touch Down
o Destroyed Homes
o Destroyed Mariner
o No Fatalities or Major Injuries

· 2018 Large Dump Fire
o Burns Several Days

· 2018 Mailboat Fire
o Burns Out of Control
o Ship Supplies Mail and Needed Other Supplies Once/Week
o Outbound Mail Destroyed

· Numerous Water Rescues

· Golf Cart / Vehicle Fires

· Accidents



*Approximate Numbers

+No Record Keeping Currently