PHILIPSBURG--Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs Silveria Jacobs says she continues to hold open dialogues with WICSU-PSU about measures enacted to address the concerns expressed by the firefighters since their meeting with her on October 28, 2022.
In a letter, Jacobs outlined the measures taken in November and to date. The mold has been removed in the Fire and Ambulance building, and other measures to continuously maintain a mold-free environment. In addition, scheduled maintenance has been increased and takes place weekly.
Further improvements are scheduled to take place later this week, she added, which will not hamper the operations of the Fire Department, as it will be done in phases to ensure continuity of operations, while assuring the safety of the workers. This will be strictly monitored. The transitional measure will remain in place until the long-term actions are ready to be executed. Should this require relocation of personnel, this will be properly coordinated with management and thoughtfully planned with prior notice to all parties, especially the firefighters, the letter states.
“Let me reiterate my previous statements; the firemen's concerns are my concerns. We continue to have an open-door policy with WICSU-PSU and continue to request a bit of time for proper actions to take course. The firefighters are not forgotten, the mold issue has been dealt with, as it was a top priority, and the government is working diligently to rectify the safety of the structure. The health of our first responders is paramount and the processes are being accelerated as much as possible, and ask for patience, while execute what was promised,” wrote the prime minister.
