Chief Fire Officer Ditney Downes is asking men across the country to stop smoking and take COPD seriously, revealing that every emergency related to this lung disease handled by the fire service so far has involved male patients.
Downes said that respiratory emergencies are putting a lot of pressure on ambulance services, and most of these calls are due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
“In 2025, we responded to 13,170 ambulance calls,” he said. “There were 13,637 patient assessments, including 6,925 medical calls, 3,994 hospital transfers and 2,245 trauma calls. We also responded to 1,050 vehicle accidents and 843 respiratory emergencies.”
He said that 95% of the respiratory emergencies were related to COPD.
“I want to plead to our young men because the statistics show that 100 per cent are males. So, apparently, the females are doing something our males are not doing. I want to plead to our young men that COPD is not a joke. It’s a very serious disease,” he said.
This trend has continued in 2026. So far this year, the Saint Lucia Fire Service has responded to 6,762 ambulance calls, including 572 related to COPD.
At the current rate, the fire service expects total ambulance calls in 2026 to be higher than last year.
Downes’ appeal comes as health officials continue to warn about the dangers of smoking, one of the leading risk factors for COPD. The progressive lung disease can cause persistent breathing difficulties, chronic coughing and reduced lung function, often requiring emergency medical intervention in severe cases.
The fire service is encouraging men, especially younger ones, to quit smoking, see a doctor if they have ongoing breathing problems, and make healthier choices to lower their risk of getting COPD.
