In an interview with the Chronicle, he said that when there is an emergency, it is the mandate of the Fire Service to get to the scene as quickly as possible.

According to the Fire Chief, the general attitude of road users is disrespectful and they do not move out of the way of fire tenders heading to fire calls.

The Fire Service would like to do a professional job, but if not given the necessary support will be viewed as incompetent, he added.

One sure way of support is for drivers to pull over to the corner of the road and bringing vehicles to a stop as soon as the siren is heard, he said.

He explained that this will give firefighters a better chance of reaching the scene of a fire or accident early enough to minimise damage and save lives.

Noting the trauma associated with fires, Mr. Washington explained that reaching early will increase the chances of saving property, jobs and lives.

Anytime a person or child dies by fire his officers and servicemen go into a form of mourning, he said.

"Please be responsible when you hear the warning devices of the fire services so we can go do our jobs," the Fire Chief appealed.

Meanwhile, there has been a significant reduction in the number of prank calls, he said.

He attributes this decrease to an effective Fire Prevention programme.