Firefighters’ promotion list awaiting Benn’s confirmation

The list of promotions for firefighters is waiting on the approval of Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, according to Fire Chief (ag) Gregory Wickham.

“The Fire Service promotion, we are expecting that we should have it soon, currently that is at Minister’s disposal for him to give his confirmation of that list and we are waiting for that,” Wickham told reporters at the sidelines of an event on Thursday.

When pressed about how long the list has been with the minister, Wickham responded: “For a little while.”

The promotion of firefighters has been stalled for months after 30 firefighters claimed that they were allegedly removed from the promotion list last year.

The News Room was informed that some of the fire officers were charged departmentally and/or had their pay deducted. Meanwhile, other officers contested that while there was no pending infraction against them their pay was deducted and their names were removed from the list also.

Former Fire Chief Kamaladeen Edoo in September 2021, was arraigned before City Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus on a private charge filed by firefighter Neville Cumberbatch who complained of a discriminatory promotion practice.

Edoo was accused of allegedly removing Cumberbatch’s name from the promotion list.

It is alleged by Cumberbatch that his name was removed based on disciplinary infractions, whilst retaining on the same list persons who were guilty of equal and more egregious disciplinary infractions.