Minister On Temporary Overseas Firefighters
Minister of National Security Michael Weeks provided some additional information on the plans to hire temporary overseas firefighters to provide coverage at L.F. Wade International Airport.
This follows after the Minister’s statement in Parliament on Friday which said that in order to meet an increased amount of certified aircraft rescue firefighters needed per crew at the airport, the Government has “sourced ten 10 suitably qualified firefighters to come to Bermuda in July,” with the Minister explaining that it is a “temporary measure” and they have started a “recruitment campaign.”
Speaking in a video posted by the Government, Minister Weeks said, “The bill today is about hiring temporary firefighters to meet the need of an order report that we had done in February of this year.
“The report had findings that we didn’t have enough qualified firefighters at the airport in case of an emergency. So while we are trying to train and hire more firefighters, the need arose for us to have temporary overseas firefighters for at least three months while our firefighters are trained and put up to scratch.
“There has been an order, and the first order has suggested that we need, I think, 30 or so extra firefighters for the airport. What government has decided was to get a second opinion from an overseas expert, another auditor, if you may, and they are here as we speak; the audit is complete.
“The findings of it are not yet made public because literally he has just completed it. So in the next few days, we would have the results of what the second opinion is, but that was definitely to look at the numbers and the need for how many firefighters will be needed at the airport on a daily basis.”
OMG if this was the OBA doing this, the airport would be shut down by the PLP and the People’s Campaign.
You had to wait for a report to tell you that you were short on officers? There are global guidelines and several other ways to find this information. I trust the Fire Chief would have the means to find this info out. I wonder what this consultancy cost us.
So who is to blame for not doing their job, the PLP, the Minister, the Fire Chief, the training Officers? I could understand the shortages if there was a shortage because unemployment was at an all time low?
Fail to Prepare and you prepare to fail!
There is NO Excuse for this?
Except that Governments of all political stripes have brought in people from overseas for as long as I have been alive.
The big change with the PLP Government is that would look everywhere except the U.K. for people.
Governments decry when private industry bring in people from overseas and says “Bermudians first”, but the fact of the matter is that there are not enough Bermudians ready, willing and able to fill all jobs in Bermuda. If we want those jobs done, ex pats are required.
There wouldn’t be enough pepper spray.
Why no mention of where the ten are coming from, is it a secret?
How long has the airport been in breach of International standards for the number of trained firefighters? It can’t have happened overnight so clearly a lack of competence by Government. Surprised the Minister hasn’t blamed their failure on the OBA.