The Training and Development Unit was renamed the Barbados Fire Academy. This change came about after years of planning to propel the Unit from a local Training Centre to a regional hub for firefighting and emergency service training. The Barbados Fire Academy (BFA) is an agent of the Barbados Fire Service mandated to provide training to the members of the department, regional fire services and other public and private sector agencies.
Its cadre of knowledgeable and experienced instructors and a course listing that will meet the technical and theoretical needs of emergency and non -emergency persons will certainly set the standard for others to follow. The Academy has been successful in gaining accreditation for some of its courses offered through strategic educational partnerships between the Barbados Community College (BCC), Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and the Barbados Accreditation Council. The Barbados Fire Academy under the motto "Excellence through Training" seeks to be the premier firefighting and rescue training institution in the Caribbean.
Safety and Health is paramount in the today's society and part of the response to ensuring optimum efficiency is creating a culture of safety minded workers and employers alike through training and retraining. The academy aims to provide services meeting the best practices for health and safety to reduce injuries and deaths in industry while providing opportunities for employment.