Firefighters Day |05 May 2023

The newly inaugurated Anse Royale fire station

Anse Royale Fire Station  officially inaugurated

By Sunny Esparon

To commemorate the International Firefighters’ Day, the operational Anse Royale Fire Station was officially inaugurated yesterday morning by the Minister for Internal Affairs, Errol Fonseka, and Chief Fire Officer Tally Domingue,who unveiled the plaque and cut the ribbon.

The theme chosen for this year was ‘Value the woman of the fire services’, meaning special attention was given to women in the service, highlighting their work and recognising Seychellois women who have worked with the fire services as far back as 1997.

The day also honoured the fallen and those who have retired, ending their career in the fire service.

As is customary, the flag raising ceremony kicked off the event followed by remarks from the first female Chief Fire Officer (CFO), Tally Domingue.

“This day is to remind us firefighters of the honour we gain by helping those we serve and to remember our brothers and sisters who have fallen in the line of duty,” Ms Domingue stated.

The day is meant to celebrate the men and women who make sacrifices and take their career of firefighting as a vocation.

“We embrace the women of the service as they have shown their value and their dedication throughout their career,” said Ms Domingue.

During yesterday’s inauguration ceremony of the newly built Anse Royale station, Ms Domingue said this was a step towards the fire agency’s strategic priorities to decentralise the service and to bring it closer to the communities.

“I take this opportunity to ask everyone to treat fire prevention as a priority.”

For his part, Minister Fonseka said the day was to honour firefighters for their sustained commitment.

The minister cheered on the firefighters who do their work with vigour and without complaint, and in a trained and professional manner.

“They find a way to get the job done irrespective of the challenge,” he said.

The minister said it would have been great if every district would have been able to get a station but this is related to budget requirements and availability.

“We must keep up with the trends and upgrade our facilities,” he said.

Also to address the guests was the elected member of the National Assembly for Anse Royale, Honourable Sylvanne Lemiel, who said she felt proud, on behalf of residents, to witness the inauguration of the new station.

“This is a symbolic day for us, because it has been many years that Anse Royale has been trying to get a station,” she said.

She added that the station was important not only to Anse Royale but to the entire Southeast region.

She urged residents to use the service wisely and emphasised that the fire service’s resources were too valuable to be wasted on prank calls, urging the public to take into consideration the value of the agency and the limited resources at its disposal.

“This station will help us save lives,” Hon. Lemiel said.

Yesterday’s event also included a blessing of the building and the fire fighters by Father Collin Underwood and Reverend Christine Benoit, followed by a tour of the station hosted by the Station Officer and CFO.

The traditional ringing of fire bells across all the stations also took place, in remembrance of the fallen firefighters, as well as a motorcade from Anse Royale Fire station to the Youth Hostel and back.

All guests present also received a red and blue ribbon that symbolises the main elements that firefighters work with. Red for fire and blue for water. These colours are internationally recognised as representing the emergency services.

The ceremony also comprised performances of poem and the fire station song by Station Officer Phillip Thomas, as well as a demonstration by female firefighters.

The accompanying photos show highlights of the event.

Photos by Joena Meme