Former fire bosses called out of retirement
(CNS): Two former top fire officers are putting their retirement on hold in order to re-take the helm of the Cayman Islands Fire Service in order to help government stabilize the critical emergency department in the face of more problems. Officials gave little away in a release on Monday about the continuing issues at the CIFS but confirmed that Rosworth McLaughlin is now on extended sick leave. As a result Roy Grant will come back to act as chief fire officer and Kirkland Nixon (left) as strategic advisor for the next three months as government continues to find a new fire boss and fill the vacancies caused by public service cuts.
“During this time, issues of poor communication, command and control as well as strategic planning will all be areas of priority,” said Ministry of Home Affairs Chief Officer Eric Bush, adding that it would give government “time to stabilize” the service.
The former bosses have been called out of retirement in the wake of a review of the Cayman Islands Fire Service conducted in January by Peter Holland, the Chief Fire and Rescue Advisor for England. His report is due in the coming weeks but officials have not yet stated when it will be released to the public.
Craig McCoy, who has served in the Fire Service for 35 years, is also retiring but the date for his departure from an already depleted crew has not been revealed.
Staff shortages, missing overtime pay, poor communication, mis-management and worn out personal safety kit are just some of the issues plaguing the service that were revealed when the UK experts visited Cayman earlier this year
Category: Local News
Can one please you bunch of people? Perhaps what Eric and Alden is doing is having our own Caymanians go back at the Station and identify the problems . Dont you all prefer that than bringing in others to do the job? Seems like you are angry over the pay check that they will earn. Jealousy, jealousy, jealousy. Just hope that they will recommend getting rid of those that do not perform rather than keeping them and trying to make something out of them. Some of them are the smartest guys on this Island but perhaps they do not have Leadership skills. When you had Mr Nixon , Martinez and and all those older guys there the ship was well run. A very professional Secretary to who is very important in the running of things was no other than our own Bodden Towner Ms Maude who was well respected by the Guys. It is so sad to see that the high morals of that place has deteriated. It would be a good idea to bring back some of those good guys such as Peter Pats brother and others. After all The Department was 100% Cayman staffed in those days. It takes a good Caymanian at the top of any department with so many staff to earn respect and control them. So Eric do whatever you have to but dont let something that was well put together go down the drain.
Delusions of past grandeur that never happened. The sooner we get rid of the source of the problem: propping up and churning a pool of self inflated non performing good ole boys, the faster Cayman can move forward.
The Firemen has had more training than any other Government thatI can think of. Most of them under Nixons reign has been to the UK and other places. However he could not make them have certain morals. With such a mixture of Firemen and women what the hell do you expect now a day. Most of them was not there under his reign.
No worries, UCCI will be setting up a conference to address mangers manipulating career paths and opportunities of corrupt double dipping. Experts of the great London fire and fans of the movie "backfdraft" will be flown in to address relevancies at the fire department. Nothing to see here, move it along, this is not representative of any of the government branches of business
And, 14:46, Sayed will be brought back as "strategic advisor" to UCCI.
HS has provided a great distraction from a few unprofessional and conniving degenerate leaders that are currently working their magic. The cult culture of putting on a pony show has gotten a bit thick there and this is just one more parlor trick.
Ideal world: value for money.
Cayman world: money for value…….
Why is it that the more we spend on the civil service the worse it gets???
Someone please address the pink elephant in the room:
Why not appoint an existing staff member as acting Chief Fire Officer?
or someone else from the civil service if it is an Administrator they need. By recalling these person you have further retarded the fire service and the people within.
Sad. Very sad, but that is not the only government department with a similar problem. I know of other situations where heads of units retired and their replacments have made a total mess!! Those highly paid chief officers need to pay more attention to the departments and units under their remit.
These men are being brought back to right the wrongs that they created, the state of the fire dept is not something that happened in the last 2-3 years this was building up for decades, when a boss tells you that you can’t be promoted after 20yrs because a tribe can’t work if it has too many “Chiefs” it’s only a matter of time before you end up where the fire dept is today, in shambles.
Too many Chiefs is also called "dead man shoes"
during the recent fire at dump acting fire chief Mccoy was very forthcoming with the media and gave alot of interviews and updates. it was the best communications from the fire service in a long time. dont know why they are talking about poor communications? mayb internal problems?
– 16:33. Was it McCoy or was it Rosworth McLaughlin?
You are right, it was Acting Chief Rosworth McLaughlin and not McCoy that gave the regular updates on Cayman27. As a foreign national I was very impressed with him. I thought he presented himself well and did an excellent job representing the department. I recall his name because I saw him in two to three interviews on Cayman27. I also heard former Radio Host Austin Harris read an email from him clarifying some issue about wells that are apparently used by the Fire Department. This is another reason why his name stands out in my mind.
So the Fire Service is such in a deplorable state and has been so for many years, and their ingenious solution is to bring back the old Chiefs to rectify this? I'm sure I don't need to point out the obvious here.
Please point out the rationale when you see it.
Thanks.
11:16.The article does not mention "the Fire Service is such in a deplorable state and has been so for many years".Maybe you would like to read it again and decide if your comment is still relevant.
The obvious is that since the past 6-10 years the service went in a downward spiral. There is no perfect organization but come on people…. The Cayman Islands Fire Service was a disciplined, respectable service. No one and when I say no one in the service has the respect for one another the way it was when I joined years ago. No one comes to attention no even for the last Chief or last two acting Chiefs. When Mr. Nixon and Mr. Grant were there you can guarantee that used to happen. I dont even think the newest staff even know they are suppose to come to attention and address them with Good morning, good evening or what ever the case may be.
I'm happy they are back wish it were on a permanent basis but to ask that would be sort of unfair as they have been enjoying their retirement. Thanks to you Gentlemen for accepting to assist not only the Fire Service but the Government and the Cayman Islands on a whole. Keep up the excellent work Mr. Nixon and Mr. Grant.
What a laugh those who installed the inept and incompetent now returning to save the day/ This is Cayman why we always end up hiring from overseas to fill post. what a joke this little place is???
Pension plus new paycheck
And? They have already earned their pension. Why on earth should they work for free?
So the guys that failed to put proper succession planning in place for the Fire Service have been called out of retirement to fix the problem that they themselves created and set into motion approximately10 – 12 years ago. SHM !!!
Obviously the Premier and Eric Bush are too naiive to see that this recommendation from the UK Advisor is simply setting the stage for our first UK Chief Fire Officer !!! Wake up guys………its time to see the light !!!
To 22:01. You hit the nail on the head. Not wanting to let go of the power, not sharing the knowledge, operating by fear and control. But right now,things have not changed because the very persons who perpetuated this are the ones that they have brought back temporarily to sort the problem out. That's a joke they caused the problem in The first place. FOI and see how,many years they were at the top,of,the fire,service,and you will have your answer.
Welcome back Mr Nixon and Mr Grant we All sooooo Happy Now!
A sad comment on what we already all knew – the lack of local talent at managerial level in these all Caymanian-staffed services.
True 6:33 but they are terrific at polishing their helmets and their Tenders.
06:33.Just could not resist a chance to put down Caymanians,could you?
Why is it that the Fire Department had no succession plan in place? This is not only the Fire Chief's fault, but the Chief Officer's fault as well. Why didn't he, or she ensure that the Chief Fire Officer had sucha program in place? This is something that has obvously trickled down from previous bosses and I wonder if it wasn't a tactic to allow certain people hold on to power. It's an absolute disgrace and dereliction of duty to have not prepared the younger officers to take over.
Sadly this is not limited to the Fire Service. Often when one makes suggestions for succession planning in other areas it falls on deaf ears.
Anon 22:01 you are absolutely right and now reinstalling those responsible for this dire situation is both a travesrty and a injustice to all. Parading them now as saviors when we all know that all this is nothing than handing out more public money to the old boy network to waste.Cayman is not moving forward and it appears to thrive on failure. Shame on those in government who allow this!
I do believe that the Firemen has had more training than most Government Departments. Just check out how many of them that Nixon sent to UK and other places. One cannot say that they do not have good training under his reign and they are some of the smartest guys around, however morals is a different thing.
No one can say that Nixon did not train his men well. However the new style is for Civil ervantsto retire early fo that big haul of money. However someof them is no longer there.
What a mess!
no more about their outstanding overtime pay, etc
Big mess too.
thank god all the favoritisms and friendly promotions will stop now
These guys are leaders not bosses, anyone can be a boss!
Roy Grant & Kirkland were the best leaders when they were heading up the helm. They dealt with a lot of back biting but a cow dont know the loss of its tail until he lose it. Hope they stay long enough to turn things around and the staff give them their full support, and stop with their subversive activities of running off to the politicians and the media trying to bring down their own fire service.
Well, hope they happy now cause the place is a dump and they turned it into one. Wish Roy and Kirkie the best cause they sure need it. Some people hug you while they be stabbing you n the back. Guys,dont turn your back.
"Fill the vacancies caused by public service cuts"? Dat nah sound too righted.