Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite
Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite has promised to recruit auxiliary officers to assist firemen during the crop season.
Brathwaite made the announcement this morning while addressing the 59th Anniversary Service of the Barbados Fire Service at the Calvary Moravian Church on Roebuck Street, the City.
During his brief address, Brathwaite noted that during the crop season some officers were often asked to work 14 and 15 hours a day to address challenges arising from cane fires and grass fires.
He also acknowledged that even though Government faces financial challenges it would have to address the issue of aging equipment.
Chief Fire Officer Wilfred Marshall
Meanwhile, in his address, Chief Fire Officer Wilfred Marshall informed the congregation, which included acting Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith and former Chief Fire Officer Velmo Cadogan that he goes on pre-retirement leave tomorrow.
He is due to retire on January 1, 2015.
Marshall, who spent nearly forty years in the fire department served as chief fire officer for four and a half years.
In his sermon, priest-in-charge of the Calvary Moravian Church, Reverend Adrian Smith, encouraged the officers to stay united.
He also made a plea for better salaries for the officers, most of whom, he pointed out, place their lives on the line on a daily basis to provide a safer community.