Jamaica Magazine edition spotlights water safety, hurricane readiness and local enterprise

An edition of the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) programme Jamaica Magazine, aired to mark World Drowning Prevention Day, combined public-safety guidance with hurricane readiness advice and features on local enterprise and public service.

On water safety, viewers were cautioned to think before jumping into unfamiliar water, because hidden rocks and shallow areas are real dangers, and were advised to always enter feet first.

The programme profiled Garfield Clark, founder of Kamgar Farm, who transforms Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee into value-added goods such as a sweet and spicy gourmet jelly, coffee syrup, coffee jackass corn, breadfruit punch and rum cream. Clark said the idea came to him in 2018 but he acted only at the end of 2019, before COVID-19 disrupted his plans in 2020. He first took products to the public in June 2023, was later nominated for food awards in 2024 and written up in the Observer. He credited help from the SRC, JBDC, Jampro, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, and said he wants to carry agro-processing "to the four corners of the world."

On hurricane preparedness, the programme recommended storing three to seven days of food per person, including protein-rich canned items, high-energy foods, fruit and water, in a labelled, dry container, with stock rotated to avoid waste. A meteorologist explained how clusters of thunderstorms over the North Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea can develop into rotating systems, and noted Jamaica's season runs from June 1 to the end of November. Hurricanes are ranked on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with Category 1 winds of at least 74 mph (119 km/h), while Categories 3 to 5 are major hurricanes. He rejected the "June too soon" myth, noting Hurricane Beryl developed in June, entered the Caribbean on July 1 and affected Jamaica on July 3, and dismissed the belief that Hurricane Gilbert, which struck in September 1988, hit the island twice.

The edition also promoted the "It's okay to tell" message, urging people to report suspected child abuse to the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) at 211, available 24 hours a day.

Officials explained that people with expunged records may still become Justices of the Peace, since Section 25 of the Criminal Records (Rehabilitation of Offenders) Act treats a rehabilitated person as never charged. Applicants can apply through moj.gov.jm or the Ministry of Justice at 61 Constant Spring Road, submit identification and two letters of recommendation, undergo a discreet inquiry led by their parish custos and review by the Justice of the Peace Advisory Committee, and complete 18 hours of training at the Justice Training Institute.

Finally, the National Land Agency (NLA) said it uses drones, including the DJI Mavic 2 and the larger DJI Matrice 350, for land valuation, inspections, cadastral and topographic surveys, property mapping and hydrographic work. The agency also runs a three-week drone pilot training course, currently priced at J$150,000.