Mr. Speaker, today I rise to provide this Honourable House with an update on the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service Airport Operations Division and what we are doing to ensure that sufficient resources are in place to meet the increased airport requirements.
Mr. Speaker, you will recall that I made a statement to this Honourable House on February 3rd 2023 advising of the revised requirements for the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service at the Airport and the commitment this Government made to resolve the emergency situation that faced the Bermuda Fire & Rescue Service.
Mr. Speaker, as I have previously advised this Honorable House, the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service operates the Airport Rescue Firefighting Services section which provides aircraft rescue and firefighting services for the L.F. Wade International Airport. This is an essential service that enables the airport to serve commercial flights in accordance with international standards. You will recall, Mr Speaker, that I also advised of the increased staffing requirements at the airport in respect of the minimum duty strength and the need, in the short term, to bring in overseas firefighters to meet that revised requirement to ensure that airport operations continued uninterrupted. Clearly, we could not afford, as a Country, to jeapordise the operation of the airport, which is an essential component of our economic stability and long-term sustainability.
Mr. Speaker, it is important for me to underscore that the Airport Rescue Firefighting Services is a Retained Government Service as part of the airport project agreement between Skyport and the Bermuda Airport Authority. The Bermuda Airport Authority is responsible for providing the Retained Government Service and have transferred responsibility for the delivery of the Airport Rescue Firefighting Services to the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service by way of a Memorandum of Understanding in 2007, with an amendment in 2017. There is no fee paid by Skyport to the Bermuda Airport Authority or to the Bermuda Fire & Rescue Service for this service.
Mr. Speaker, since my last statement to this Honourable House on this matter, I am pleased to report that we have advertised and recruited a further twenty-four (24) local recruit firefighters. These new recruits are scheduled to travel to Newcastle in the U.K. on 05th August 2023 for six weeks to receive specialist training that will certify them as aircraft rescue firefighters. The Newcastle International Fire Training Academy is a world-class aircraft rescue firefighting training facility with highly qualified instructors. During this training, our firefighters will be required to demonstrate competence in the following areas:
• Saving and preserving endangered life at incidents
• Extinguishing fires at aircraft incidents
• Maintaining operational readiness of resources
• Site and position Vehicles at an incident location
• Implement action to resolve operational incidents
• Contain and control spillage or release of hazardous material
• Recognise airside hazards and minimise risks
On successful completion of their training, each recruit will be issued with a certificate of competence in line with *CAP 699 (*Standards for the competence of Rescue and Firefighting Service personnel, developed by the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority).
Mr Speaker, this recruitment drive represents the last phase of the Bermuda Fire & Rescue Service’s emergency plan to rapidly expand and build the extra workforce capacity required to meet the new minimum staffing levels mandated by the Aerodrome Regulators. The Fire Services efforts to reach this stage was extraordinary because of the timings of similar recruitment drives taking place in the wider Ministry.
Mr Speaker, I met with the Chief Fire Officer and his Management team this week and I expressed our pleasure with the progress to date. Barring any unforeseen problems, the newly trained Fire Officers will replace the overseas consultant firefighters on 1st October 2023.
Mr. Speaker, not all jurisdictions hire raw recruits and train them for the Fire Service. Some will only hire trained and qualified firefighters. Bermuda, however, hires raw recruits and trains them to be firefighters. It typically takes 24 weeks for the foundation training and then there is further specialist training. With this particular cohort, the intent is to have them certified as aircraft rescue firefighters and subsequently, deployed at the airport to replace the remaining overseas firefighters by 1st October 2023.
Mr. Speaker, we currently have sixteen (16) overseas firefighters remaining in Bermuda who will fulfil their contracts until they are replaced on 1st October 2023. On a related note, I can advise that we are planning to fill a number of posts in the Service resulting from retirements and recent promotions. This will include the Assistant Chief Fire Officer’s post. Earlier this month, two senior level management positions were filled. This is in alignment with the Fire Services succession plan and Departmental objectives for 2023/24.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to ensuring that there are sufficient resources at the airport to maintain operations. We are also committed to recruiting and retaining Bermudians in the Service in general. This essential service provides a challenging and rewarding career and I encourage people to apply to join.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I hasten to remind this Honourable House that I made a commitment to this Country that we would replace the overseas firefighters at the airport with qualified Bermudians. This recruitment and overseas training of Bermudian firefighters will achieve that aim. This is another example of a promise made and promise kept.
Mr Speaker, I hasten to thank the women and men throughout the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service for their continued outstanding service to this Country, without which, our lifeline at the airport would not be able to function and operate.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.