Senior Reporter
derek.achong@guardian.co.tt
Businessman and social activist Inshan Ishmael has requested the disclosure of information related to the procurement of 20 wooden ladders which were acquired by the T&T Fire Service (TTFS) for just under $1 million.
Ishamel made the request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in a letter sent to the TTPS by his lawyer Richard Jaggasar on Monday.
The issue with the purchase of the 10.5 metre extension ladders for $990,000, arose in September when the TTFS revealed the purchase in response to a separate FOIA request from Ishmael in relation to fire-fighting equipment purchased between 2015 and April this year.
On October 30, the TTFS further revealed that the ladders had been supplied by Amalgamated Security Services Limited as it provided a full listing of its suppliers.
While Fire Service Association president Leo Ramkissoon claimed that the ladders were not being used, this was vehemently denied by Chief Fire Officer Arnold Bristow.
In an interview with Guardian Media early last month, Bristow defended the use of the ladders.
“The standard in Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service ladders has always been integral and wooden ladders have always been a key element in our organisation’s apparatus,” he explained.
“The standard fire truck appliance would normally be required to carry three ladders, a first-floor ladder, a 13.5 metre extension ladder, as well as a 10.5 metre extension ladder. It has always been the choice of the Fire Service to have wood ladders because wood does not conduct electricity,” he added.
He claimed that the ladders were purchased in 2020 while he was not at the helm of the service and were delivered almost two years later.
While Bristow admitted that fire trucks have to be modified in order to accommodate them, he claimed that the ladders were already in use.
In the letter, Jaggasar claimed that Bristow made the statements without providing supporting evidence.
“Upon a cursory glance of the statements, it appears that the current chief fire officer is distancing himself from the purchase for some reason,” he said.
“It is unclear whether he is simultaneously saying that proper procurement practices were used in the purchase or ought to have been used,” he added.
Jaggasar noted that while responding to a question on the ladders during a sitting of Parliament, National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds said that his ministry’s permanent secretary was responsible for the purchase.
“It appears to be a common thread among these officials that the procurement process and the use of public funds was a concern,” Jaggasar said.
Jaggasar requested the disclosure of whether the ladders were procured through a sole selection process or through open tender.
In the event that a tender process was used, Jaggasar requested the disclosure of the parties who submitted bids.
He also requested board minutes for when the purchase was approved as well as correspondence involving the permanent secretary.
While Jaggasar suggested that the disclosure could be facilitated in seven days, he noted that the TTFS had a 30-day limit under the FOIA.
Guardian Media understands that Jaggasar did not receive a response up to late yesterday.
