Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced that members of the protective forces and services will be honoured with a new medal - The Public Emergency Service Medal.
She made the announcement Tuesday at the sod turning ceremony for a new Mayor Fire Station.
"We all owe a debt of gratitude to these patriots, dedicated men and women in uniform who worked long hours and sacrificed so much to defend your rights to safety and to protect our democracy recently," Persad-Bissessar said.
She added that the details of the ceremony and those to be honoured will be worked out with the Ministry of National Security, adding that "the time has been long in coming to recognize the members of our disciplinary services who so diligently carried out their patriotic duty."
Persad-Bissessar said the results of their dedication are there for all to see and urged citizens to "acknowledge success where it is evident and give credit where it is due."
She noted her pride in being in Mayaro for the sod turning but at the same time expressed regret that it has taken too long to provide the community with such a basic social service.
"This is but another example of what I call poor, rich little Trinidad and Tobago... How is it possible that the people of Mayaro and environs been denied something so basic as a Fire Station?" she asked. "Thank God we can make it happen in Mayaro," she added.
She paid tribute to fire officers and also commended the combined protective services for the capability and commitment they demonstrated to the nation during the recent state of emergency.
And she took the opportunity to remind citizens of what was accomplished during the emergency from August to December, most notably the almost 50 per cent decrease in the homicide rate in the country, the removal of hundreds of illegal weapons and ammunition from the streets and the confiscation and destruction of drug valued at more than one billion dollars.
"During the last full year of the last administration, the homicide rate was at an average of 42 homicides per month – during the State of Emergency this figure was brought to an approximate of 14 homicides per month," Persad-Bissessar stated.
The new Mayaro Fire Station will be a 17,000 square feet, two (2) storey steel and concrete building with accommodation for its complement of Fire Safety Officers and an Engineering Repair Facility.
She made the announcement Tuesday at the sod turning ceremony for a new Mayor Fire Station.
"We all owe a debt of gratitude to these patriots, dedicated men and women in uniform who worked long hours and sacrificed so much to defend your rights to safety and to protect our democracy recently," Persad-Bissessar said.
She added that the details of the ceremony and those to be honoured will be worked out with the Ministry of National Security, adding that "the time has been long in coming to recognize the members of our disciplinary services who so diligently carried out their patriotic duty."
Persad-Bissessar said the results of their dedication are there for all to see and urged citizens to "acknowledge success where it is evident and give credit where it is due."
She noted her pride in being in Mayaro for the sod turning but at the same time expressed regret that it has taken too long to provide the community with such a basic social service.
"This is but another example of what I call poor, rich little Trinidad and Tobago... How is it possible that the people of Mayaro and environs been denied something so basic as a Fire Station?" she asked. "Thank God we can make it happen in Mayaro," she added.
She paid tribute to fire officers and also commended the combined protective services for the capability and commitment they demonstrated to the nation during the recent state of emergency.
And she took the opportunity to remind citizens of what was accomplished during the emergency from August to December, most notably the almost 50 per cent decrease in the homicide rate in the country, the removal of hundreds of illegal weapons and ammunition from the streets and the confiscation and destruction of drug valued at more than one billion dollars.
She said the emergency also caused serious crime to be cut, suppress gang activity and unearth a billion dollar diesel smuggling racket.
"During the last full year of the last administration, the homicide rate was at an average of 42 homicides per month – during the State of Emergency this figure was brought to an approximate of 14 homicides per month," Persad-Bissessar stated.
The new Mayaro Fire Station will be a 17,000 square feet, two (2) storey steel and concrete building with accommodation for its complement of Fire Safety Officers and an Engineering Repair Facility.
She said it is one of 16 Fire Stations the government is building in different parts of the country. Others will be in: Arouca, Chaguaramas, Cove Tobago, Four Roads, Mon Repos, North Tobago, Point Fortin, Port of Spain, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Rio Claro, San Fernando, Siparia, Tunapuna and Woodbrook.
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