Despite being in need of personnel and the "unacceptable" short term sick leave claims, the Barbados Fire Service is making progress at an "alarming rate".
This came from Chief Fire Officer Chesterfield Mayers, speaking at the Chief Fire Officer's Parade, Display and Awards Ceremony recently at the Arch Hall Fire Station, St Thomas.
The chief admonished his officers for taking too much short-term sick leave, saying the practice frustrated the development process and placed a burden on their fellow officers. He said this action was partly to blame for the closure of the Weston, St James, and Worthing, Christ Church stations recently.
It was a gloomy day but the rain held off to allow the highly trained fire service recruits and promising junior fire cadets to showcase their skills in precision marching and simulated rescue drills.
The pride could be seen on the faces of the men, women and youngsters as they filed past their families and senior fire personnel in both slow and quick time.
Also on display were drills performed by the personnel. The junior fire cadets performed a rescue drill involving lowering a "victim" from a building.
Master of ceremonies, acting divisional officer Junior Boyce, told the audience the cadets only had a few weeks of training.
The fire service recruits performed a ladder drill, showing how to ascend and descend a ladder during an operation while the crowd was treated to a display of teamwork and precision as an all-female group of veteran fire officers worked with paramedics to free a "victim" trapped in a vehicle.
"There is a notion that 'if I can't see it, it is not happening', but that is not so. Fifty per cent of the force is receiving special training with another 80 per cent undergoing further training under the Training Administration Division in order to receive the tools they need to carry out a more efficient and effective job," the fire chief said in his feature address.
"This approach is consistent with our changing world in which we live, as we too must change. There are larger buildings now with a wider variety of risks and challenges which require more technique.
"It is therefore incumbent for us to know where we have to go and what we have to do to get there," he said.
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