President of the Fire Service Association Leo Ramkissoon says firefighters are threatening to take action regarding the non-provision of government housing to members.
The association is calling on Minister of Housing Roodal Moonilal or the Prime Minster Kamla Persad-Bissessar to intervene.
Ramkissoon was referring to the ten per cent housing which is supposed to be allocated to officers of the Defence Force, Fire Services, Police and Prison Services.
During the past few weeks, the Housing Development Corporation has given out 100 houses weekly to applicants and last week gave out 500 homes in a lottery draw.
Moonilal has been quoted as saying the provision for the protective services has been more than the amount allocated at some of the distributions.
However, in a telephone interview yesterday, Ramkissoon said he had no information that firefighters have been beneficiaries of any part of the ten per cent of housing allocated to the protective services.
He added: “We demand the minister or the Prime Minister put something in place so we can access housing allocated for protective services.
“Fire officers have not been given housing provision under the government policy of ten per cent of all housing under the Housing Development Corporation for several years. We note with great displeasure the Government statement that officers have been in receipt of this and that is totally untrue. The association will not tolerate this.”
In fact, Ramkissoon said several firefighters currently have nowhere to live and reside out of their cars or live at the dormitories in the fire stations.
“Three officers live out of their cars and some sleep in fire stations because they can’t afford to pay the rent and they have to sleep somewhere. They can’t sleep on the streets so they stay in the dormitory,” he said.
He said firefighters place their lives in danger every day for the public but at the end of their duty have nowhere to go.
“They will develop chronic respiratory illnesss due to inhalation of toxic fumes from hazardous and combustible material and feel totally unappreciated and ignored by the Minister of Housing and Government by extension,” he said.
Ramkissoon said some firefighters are also under threat from living in communities affected by gang warfare.
“Fire officers are viewed as an impediment to that type of action and their lives are in threat. Fire officers are appealing for provision to relocate and get proper homes. Some have families and children and are unable to secure a home on the open market,” he added.