The Fire Service is in desperate need of a few good men - and women.
In fact, the shortage of trained personnel is now so critical that in recent months two stations - Weston, St James, and Worthing, Christ Church - had to be closed for at least one day a week.
And although it has not compromised the delivery of service, Chief Fire Officer Chesterfield Mayers said yesterday they were "working on it".
"It has resulted in a longer response time but it has not compromised the service. We are still able respond to fires," Mayers said.
He said that if Weston was closed, personnel from Arch Hall would respond, although, as public relations officer Wilfred Marshall said, it would take about five to six minutes longer.
Marshall said that from "time to time" there was a shortage of firemen.
"It has happened in the recent weeks where a station was closed due to a manpower shortage. If one [station] is short, then we move others to another station if it is below a certain level. I can't say it has been frequent. If one station is unable to be manned, then we
close it," he said.
In March, last year, president of the Barbados Fire Service Association, Clarence Hinds, spoke at the annual general meeting about the critical manpower shortage.
He said then that for six months in 2003 Worthing station had to be closed once a week because there were not enough firefighters.
Hinds also said then, and repeated yesterday, that the opening of the Arch Hall Station in 2001 had made the situation worse when "not even one officer" was recruited and officers were shifted around to work there.
He said the last time firemen were brought on was in 2002 and the association would be lobbying Government to get more staff.
Both Hinds and Mayers added that retirements had compounded the situation since there had been no replacements.
There are 214 firefighters in the country, each working an average of 42 hours per week. |