Auxiliary firemen want own law

The Auxiliary Fire Service is seeking to have draft regulations made law to improve their operations including increasing their numbers, having their own vehicles and setting up retain fire stations in rural communities.

This was reported yesterday at the Auxiliary Fire Service World Volunteer Firefighters’ Day Annual Church Service held at the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Port of Spain.

Fire Station Officer Superville told Sunday Newsday the draft regulations refer to the running of the organisation, and will be an operational document for them to work with. He said the regulations were sent to the National Security Ministry some years ago and the ministry has requested additional information which they submitted to Acting Chief Fire Officer Roosevelt Bruce for him to return to the ministry.

He explained getting the regulations into law will ensure the Auxiliary Fire Service as an organisation is run efficiently and effectively through an established set of regulations. He said they are one organisation with the Fire Service but they also need their own regulations.

“The regulations are a real covering to deal with the operational side of the (Auxiliary) Fire Service.” Superville said the acting chief fire officer has plans to set up retain stations across the country and is waiting on the ministry to sign off on it. He explained that retain stations are set up in rural areas which established fire stations cannot reach at a point in time. It is manned by auxiliary fire officers who live in the area and they are first responders. He said Fire Service officers may meet auxiliary officers halfway to a scene or the auxiliary officers will report to the Fire Service based on the circumstances.

He reported the only retain fire station in existence is in Toco and has been functional for over 20 years and that community is serviced by auxiliary personnel who live there.

On manpower, Superville reported the figure is about 520 and the shortfall around 250; they need to have an established strength of about 800. He reported they have done assessments and information has gone back to the acting chief fire officer to be sent to Public Service Commission for them to set the exams. He said once this happens and people are selected through the service commission they will inform them and then the Auxiliary Fire Service will proceed with the training programme. He said the challenge is logistical and bureaucratic to a lesser extent.

Divisional Fire Officer Ashram Badal, in his welcome remarks, said there was a meeting between officials of the Auxiliary Fire Service and the acting chief fire officer and the senior human resources director to push the regulations forward and to move swiftly to have it approved by National Security Minister Edmund Dillon.

Badal said the Auxiliary Fire Service is also in need of its own fleet of vehicles as they currently operate with vehicles on loan from the Fire Service.

On manpower ,Badal said they have begun the process to fill vacancies and they have been working “feverishly.” He explained that with the full complement they would be better able to meet the demands of their organisation. Badal said they are also looking forward to promotions in the first and second divisions.

He said training has been conducted at the Fire Service school and next year they will begin with developing skill sets of senior officers and then all other ranks.