On 9 October 2026, nine firefighters from the Caribbean Netherlands Fire Department (Brandweerkorps Caribisch Nederland, BKCN) successfully completed the first part of the fire service driver training course.
The training course took place on Bonaire over a two-week period. All nine participants successfully completed the course. Of those who passed, five are from Bonaire, three from St. Eustatius and one from Saba.
The participants will be attending the second part of the training course, which is for pump operators, in October. This part of the course will first be available on St. Eustatius and then on Bonaire in November. Pump operators are responsible for making sure that the fire engine reaches the correct location safely and quickly, after which they operate the pump and other fire-fighting equipment during an operation.
Once they have successfully completed both parts of the course, participants will receive a Fire Service Driver and Vehicle Operator diploma, which is awarded by the Netherlands Institute for Public Safety (Nederlands Instituut Publieke Veiligheid, NIPV).
BKCN believes that these nine motivated fire service drivers will be key to helping the organisation to continue enhancing firefighting services and safety in the Caribbean Netherlands.
The training course was an opportunity for the firefighters to develop the knowledge and skills required to drive and operate fire engines safely and responsibly, and by doing so make a significant contribution to BKCN’s operations.
By successfully completing the first part of the course, the participants have taken an important step in their training to become fire service drivers.