Fireman alleges he was bypassed for promotion

A SENIOR fire officer has received the court’s permission to challenge a decision of the Public Service Commission to continuously bypass him for acting appointments to the office of deputy chief fire officer (CFO) in favour of another officer.

Justice Margaret Mohammed granted leave to Siewnarine Ramsaran, who is in charge of the San Fernando Division, to seek several declarations of unequal treatment from a public authority.

His claim says he applied for the acting appointment in May 2019, when the post was internally advertised.

Ramsaran said he was the longest serving acting assistant CFO (ACFO), and since there was no confirmed officeholder in the ACFO office, he would have had the most experience and would have qualify to act in the position of deputy CFO.

His claim said no interviews were held for the acting appointment of deputy CFO, but was told he was not considered suitable for the acting appointment since he did not complete the brigade command course.

An officer junior to him was appointed to act. Ramsaran said he successfully completed the brigade command course at the Fire Service College Morton in Marsh, United Kingdom, on August 23, 2019, but his junior was given a fifth acting appointment until December 2020.

Ramsaran said he also has an MSc in Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health and well as several certificates from fire and rescue courses.

He said he has made numerous inquiries and also sent a pre-action protocol letter and freedom of information requests to get answers from the PSC.