Minister Explains Regularization of Firefighters’ Work Schedules

Minister of Disaster Risk Management, Andre Perez, told News Five that the firefighters’ work schedules were adjusted to regular hours because the budget is nearly exhausted as the fiscal year ends. He assured that anyone working overtime will still get paid. Perez also addressed the corruption allegations at the top of the Fire Department, promising an investigation but emphasizing that solid evidence is needed to back up those claims.

 

Andre Perez, Minister of Disaster Risk Management

“As a fiscally prudent government we have take heed. We are short of funds and we’re getting to the end of the fiscal year. Sometimes we have to do a little bit of belt-tightening and of course it’s where some of the firefighters are saying, listen, are we not getting any overtime or we’re not giving the opportunity, many other factors, but the first thing I also want to share is that the intake of twenty-four new firefighters, which they have either been volunteers or temporary. Now they are permanent, or they’re fully on board, also is making the provision for another fifty-six firefighters, that’s a new intake. So as we prepare for the following year, we have to make conditions to prepare and that means that everybody will become more efficient. And certainly, we look forward ahead. The end game is to cut that overtime. making sure everybody gets their hours done, and of course, whenever overtime is needed or called for. it will be included. The work that the running of the fire department entails is that we have to have an administrative assistant. That is what we have provided previously, an F.O that is assisting. And in there, we’ve seen that the increments and salary promotions, salary increases that we need to looked at. It has been sitting on a desk whereby it’s been slow to come. So we are saying that in the last ten months, we have been seeing that more and more is being addressed.  In terms of the word corruption, there’s always allegations of that, but it would need to be corroborated. But what we’re saying at that meeting, it was listened to, we discussed. I said if you bring forth the evidence if there is rampant corruption, then of course as a minister of this ministry, we will not tolerate these kinds of things occurring. We acknowledge it, that’s certainly, if there is what they are saying, we will do the investigation, but you need to bring proof because it’s only an allegation.”