Plan to bring back ‘Dial 990’

This is one of the goals of acting Chief Fire Officer, Carl Scipio, as he assumes his new rank within the Fire Service.

At an impromptu ceremony at the Fire Service headquarters yesterday, Assistant Chief Fire Officer Scipio was promoted to Deputy Chief Fire Officer and acting Chief Fire Officer.

Former Chief Fire Officer, Lennox Alfred, went on pre-retirement leave on July 28.

The small ceremony, which included about 20 officers of several ranks, was organised at such short notice that invited fire officers were unaware of the nature of the proceedings.

Scipio, a former actor and information guide on the Dial 990 series, told New-sday he was putting together programmes to better educate the public on emergency practices during flood or hurricanes, and safety tips on fire prevention. He pointed out that the programme was a major tool which was used by the fire service to advise the nation.

In his debut speech as acting Fire Officer, Scipio said he intended to work tirelessly with his officers as a team for the benefit of the Fire Services.

He added that he intends to remain humble in his new position and continue to be a constructive worker. “There would be no diminished output because of elevation,” he said.

Scipio told Newsday he planned to deal with two of his major concerns in his new office, one of which was to rethink the response of the fire services to calls of duty in order to maximise service to the public.

Another matter of concern, he said, was the manner by which the Fire Service treated with the public. Scipio said there were “certain types of complaints” about the fire service which he said needed a team approach by fire officers to eliminate such stigmas.