By Vernon Daley, Parliamentary Reporter
"Only 41 of the Fire Brigade's 68 firefighting units are currently in service," Mr Burchell Whiteman stated. He added that "a further 10 vehicles are in need of repairs, while 17 are unserviceable and have been classified as beyond economic repair."
THE FIRE Brigade is currently experiencing a severe manpower shortage, with vacancies for nearly a quarter of the required firefighters.
Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Burchell Whiteman, made the disclosure in the Senate last Friday in answers to questions posed by Jamaica Labour Party Senator, Desmond McKenzie.
According to Mr. Whiteman, the fire service has an existing staff complement of 1,673 persons of which 1,484 are firefighters. However, there are currently 457 vacant posts for firefighters about a quarter of the complement. There are also 15 vacant posts for administrative staff.
"The Jamaica Fire Brigade is to commence recruiting of two intakes per year for the next three years to fill these vacancies," Mr. Whiteman said.
Meanwhile, he also disclosed that only 41 of the Fire Brigade's 68 firefighting units are currently in service. According to him, a further 10 vehicles are in need of repairs, while 17 are unserviceable and have been classified as beyond economic repair.
Recently, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Portia Simpson Miller, made a Cabinet submission, containing comprehensive proposals for the rehabilitation of the Fire Brigade.
Mr. Whiteman said Mrs. Simpson Miller pointed out in her submission that the fire service faced serious challenges, which largely resulted from inadequate funding over the years.
The Minister made the following points in her submission:
- in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, a well-equipped
fire service was essential.
- there was urgent need for the upgrading of the fleet and for additional
equipment and parts.
- the physical infrastructure at several fire stations was dilapidated and
there were concerns about safety and worker morale.
- additional staff and training facility for the Fire Brigade were needed.
- it was proposed to earn revenue from the expansion of the Emergency Medical
Services and the introduction of building inspection fees, among other things.
- she had instructed that an assessment of the current maintenance arrangements
for the fire trucks be done to see if the Government was getting value for
money.
Coming out of the Cabinet submission, Mr. Whiteman said steps have been taken to secure funding to rehabilitate the fire service.
"The Jamaica Fire Brigade in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Sport is presently in discussion with the Ministry of Finance and Planning regarding a rehabilitation plan, financing needs and implementation arrangements for the upgrading of the Fire Brigade," he said.
