Senior Reporter
otto.carrington@cnc3.co.tt
Chief Fire Officer Arnold Bristo has acknowledged that the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service (TTFS) had shortcomings in the procurement of 20 wooden ladders in 2022.
The procurement became public information after a request through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which revealed that the 20 ladders were purchased for $999,000.
The document also detailed an expenditure of approximately $62.6 million for the repair of TTFS vehicles and $13 million for tyres.
Bristo yesterday said the Fire Service received the Auditor General’s report on the matter in June.
“The Auditor General conducted a thorough investigation into the ladder purchase. Following the investigation, certain procedural flaws in the process were highlighted. The Auditor General did not raise concerns about pricing; the main issue was the failure to follow several procedural guidelines. As a result, recommendations were made to tighten these areas moving forward,” he said.
He assured the issues had been addressed and the gaps identified have since been filled.
“The executive took the necessary steps to prepare the Fire Service for the upcoming procurement legislation. As a result, we tightened all gaps to ensure best practices in procurement, ensuring that every process we follow is transparent and above board,” he said.
In March 2022, during a ceremony at the Fire Service headquarters, National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds commissioned seven utility vehicles and the 20 double-extension ladders.
Bristo justified the procurement of the ladders, stating, “In Trinidad and Tobago, as in most places where electrical transmission lines are still carried above ground, a fire officer’s primary ladder on any appliance is a wooden ladder. This is done for two main reasons: to protect the fire officer by reducing the risk of electrocution and to minimise heat transfer, which lowers the risk of exposure when using ladders.”
Bristo added, “While metal ladders, particularly aluminium ones, are also used, they require much more rigorous maintenance. Aluminium ladders, especially in the Fire Service, need extensive non-destructive testing to ensure they remain safe after exposure to heat. This testing is crucial to prevent potential fractures that could injure the officers using them.”