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An undervalued Fire Service

Sep 04, 2021 Letters

Dear Editor,

None of the studious Parliamentarians over the last 10 years seem to have noted that the Annual Budget is consistently submitted for their approval without any mention of the position of Chief Fire Officer. They agree the next position of Deputy Chief without remarking that there is no Chief and rather generously refer to an ‘Acting Chief,’ without ever reflecting on, and enquiring of, the mental health of anyone acting for the rest of his/her life. (At least teaching has more formal acting positions).
Even if one assumes that the incumbent is appropriately compensated with acting allowances, the latter are not computed in the later pension benefits.
But that apart, there must come a time of querying which fire was the team’s fault for which the Acting Chief is culpable. It could not possibly be the case for 10 years running, without any body explaining that the service is not worth being headed by a substantive Chief; as it was in long years past.
Surely the possibility of being ‘Chief’ will be an incentive to organise more fires and then extinguish them. It is not just a matter of machines, but moreso of motivation for all in turn. Promotion becomes an issue.
Just compare the following rankings in the 2021 budget:
Fire Service Salary Grade Prison Service Salary Grade
Deputy Fire Chief 12 Director of Prisons 12
Divisional Officer 11 Senior Superintendent 10
Station Officer 08 Superintendent 09
Sub-Officer 06 Assistant Superintendent 08
Chief Prison Officer 08

Yours faithfully
E.B. John

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