During the CAS-BES Commanders’ meeting in ’s-Hertogenbosch, the fire department commanders of Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten (CAS) and the Caribbean Netherlands made agreements on enhancing their mutual cooperation and on establishing joint priorities for 2027.
The meeting focused on ways to make the respective organisations more professional, on the quality of fire service training and on how operational collaboration can be enhanced. Other issues which were addressed included the quality of instructors and examiners, fire safety, incident response and the continued development of fire service education.
The focus in the coming year is going to be on further professionalisation, knowledge sharing, boosting operational cooperation and developing joint initiatives, all while taking explicit account of the specific needs, capabilities and challenges of the various fire departments.
The next fire commanders’ meeting is scheduled to take place on Bonaire in December 2026. During that meeting, the participants intend to discuss the joint action list, the progress of ongoing work and the continued implementation of the priorities and annual plans for 2027.
The periodic CAS-BES Commanders’ meetings are an opportunity for the participating organisations to continue working on structural cooperation, knowledge sharing and mutual support.
The fire departments believe that working together, sharing experiences and combining expertise will enable them to continue to provide a strong, professional and future-proof fire service in the Caribbean region.