Home Affairs Minister outlined an array of new initiatives in the House of Assembly yesterday to improve ?an already outstanding? Bermuda Fire Service.

Chief among these will be the hiring of an overseas consultant to draft a new Fire Safety Act which, although short on specifics, Mr. Horton argued would give ?additional enforcement powers to the Service as well as possible revenue generation?.

There will also be an increase in the number of overseas training programmes to allow officers in senior and middle-level management to prepare for higher postings in the service.

Additionally, the Minister proposed the drawing up of a BFS Code of Conduct, the redevelopment of their sick leave policy to ?facilitate better management and control of current sick leave provisions?, the advent of a computerised records management system and the purchase and replacement of equipment and appliances as allocated in the recent budget estimates.

?The Bermuda Fire Service, an all Bermudian Government Uniform Service, continues to make great strides...? he said.

?The men and women of the Service are dedicated and enthusiastic about their career and continue to demonstrate this by providing a high standard of operational efficiency.?

However, Shadow Health Minister questioned why it was necessary to hire on overseas consultant to draw up the proposed legislation for $90,000 ? ?which is not a small chunk of change? ? when the human resources for this task ?must exist somewhere in Bermuda?.

But Mr. Horton responded his Ministry had canvassed Island-wide for a person with the necessary experience in his ?highly-specialised area?, but had been unsuccessful in its search.

Mr. Dunkley also expressed concern over the seven percent increase in the salaries of fire service personnel, arguing that by continuing to raise civil service salaries ?year after year? well beyond the rate of inflation, it would not be long until the pockets of the taxpayer were adversely affected.

Mr. Horton was half way through his reply to these questions when the debate was officially brought to a halt.