Canaries Sub-Station, Succession Planning Among SLFS Short-Term Goals

The Saint Lucia Fire Service (SLFS) wants to establish a Canaries sub-station and introduce comprehensive succession planning and training as part of its short-term goals. Acting Fire Chief Ditney Downes disclosed the plan as the SLFS observed its 49th anniversary last week. “We have submitted a request to the government of Saint Lucia for a new sub-station in Canaries,” Downes said. “Hopefully it will be approved and we will see a fire and emergency response station at Canaries,” the Acting fire chief said. He explained that a Canaries sub-station would greatly assist the Castries and Soufriere fire stations. In addition to the proposed sub-station, Downes spoke of the goal of succession planning and training. He said he did not want the SLFS to struggle for a leader in the next five years. As a result, Downes explained that the department had designed a comprehensive succession planning and training programme at all levels. “So at all levels, there would be competent individuals to handle the rank that they are vying for. So at no point in time there should be a problem to get a leader from within in the next five years,” he noted. Downes described the succession planning and...