Public Advised to Keep Emergency Numbers Close to Hand

Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 14, 2021 (SKNIS): Emergencies and disasters can occur at any time in a split second and a rapid response time is often the difference between life and death.

On this week’s (May 12, 2021) edition of Working for You, Fire Sub-Station Officer Timothy Martin of the St. Kitts-Nevis Fire and Rescue Services strongly encouraged the public to keep emergency numbers close to hand to reduce any delays in response time.

“Store emergency numbers in your phones,” Mr. Martin stated. “People don’t sleep with a telephone directory next to them but trust me you will have your phone – whether it is tucked under your pillow or otherwise.”

While 911 is the official number to report all emergencies in St. Kitts and Nevis, persons are advised to save the telephone numbers for police, fire, and ambulance services in the respective communities where they live and work.

This is particularly useful for persons living in Nevis as all calls to 911 are directed to the federal emergency line in St. Kitts. Moreover, while the Police and Fire Services are typically housed in the same building in most rural communities, each branch is assigned a specific number.

In addition to storing the emergency numbers in phones, officials also recommend that a list be printed or written out on a piece of paper and placed in popular areas around the house such as on the refrigerator door in the kitchen. Children, in particular, can benefit from the printout in the event that they have to call for help.