Bermuda’s commercial establishments are inadequately prepared to deal with fire, a retired firefighter has observed.

What percentage of them are properly prepared?

Ralph Scott, a fireman for 27 years, said: “I don’t have exact figures, but from my experience that figure would be very low.”

To tackle the problem, he and colleague Steven Caines formed Fire and Life Safety Associates, offering fire safety assessments and first-aid training.

Mr Scott and his colleagues were all veteran firefighters before retirement.

Earlier this month fire destroyed a Paget business, leaving an uninsured business owner with losses estimated at between $40,000 and $60,000.

Mr Scott said in terms of commercial fire safety in Bermuda, there is not a great degree of preparation, in spite of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1982 and Fire Service Act 2014 requiring regular fire drills, inspections and fire safety compliance.

Another colleague, Josonne Smith, said the cost of maintaining fire safety systems in Bermuda was one of the reasons for this.

He came on board recently, after working for 20 years as an officer with the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service in the operations and fire prevention and protection division.

He is a certified inspector and plan examiner, and also played a role in the drafting of the Fire Service Act 2014.

Having him in the business has allowed FLS to boost its services, which include fire risk assessment in commercial buildings; fire evacuation planning; fire certificate application; plan review consultations; building project pre-inspections; and integrated systems testing.

“Every building is required to have a fire certificate and Mr Smith, through his experience and certifications, is able to facilitate this process,” Mr Scott said.

There is a process to getting a fire certificate for a building, but the awareness is not usually there unless something happens, Mr Scott explained.

He said things are no better on the residential side of things.

“We have become complacent,” Mr Scott noted, adding that now is a particularly dangerous time of year for homes.

“People are doing a lot of baking,” he said. “Some people put the turkey on then leave the house completely. People are lighting candles. Others are using Christmas tree lights that are decades old.”

Mr Smith recalled one incident when the BFRS was alerted to a house fire by the triggering of a fire alarm. Firefighters arrived to find the house engulfed in smoke and the homeowners fast asleep in their beds.

“Smoke makes you sleepy,” he explained.

The couple in the house, and their two young children, were saved.

Mr Scott said it is rewarding for himself and his colleagues to use their skills after retirement.

“It also affords opportunities for other persons coming through the BFRS,” he said. “We still have very good relations with the fire service.”