Firefighters have extinguished rumours of a Sickout following radio reports yesterday.

Chief Fire Officer Vincent Hollinsid issued a joint statement with the Fire Services Association, stating: "There has been no Sickout of any description officially or unofficially within this organisation (the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service) today.

"We can however, report that there are some seven persons within our organisation that are currently on sick leave out of a total of 148. This figure represents only four per cent of the establishment's strength."

"(We) conclude that these individuals referred to in the reports of the Bermuda Broadcasting Company may be acting in an unauthorised way which is not supported by either the Management or the Fire Services Association."