TCI News
TCI: Airport firefighters draw public support during strike, labelled as ‘one of the finest’ by Provo Air Center
#Providenciales, August 10, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – Memes, social media commentary, voice notes and at least one private sector partner lent support to the disgruntled fire fighters of the Providenciales International Airport, PLS in their stance for better work conditions.
“Thank God, I haven’t had to see the fire fighters in major action yet but I’ve seen them operate and react to a lot of minor incidents. We have one of the finest in the Caribbean. These guys and women are an elite fire fighting force and I think that we need to recognize them and we need to treat them as such. So, I feel for them, I understand what their complaints are and I hope that we are all going to be speaking to our representatives and encouraging the Airports Authority to do their best with them,” said Deborah Aharon, CEO of Provo Air Center during an interview with Magnetic Media on Friday.
Twenty of the 25 fire crew walked off the job on Thursday, citing their frustration at requests for improvements and fairness on the job as reaching a breaking point with the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority, TCIAA.
Aharon, who has been in the airline business for over 20-years explained, “We rely on them, as we learned today, if they’re not working, nobody is moving. To me they are heroes just for showing up every day.”
The fire fighters claimed, “employment abuse” by the TCIAA and their strike left the airport with insufficient fire fighters and crippled operations at the country’s busiest airport. Flights on Friday were delayed and some cancelled as a result of manpower shortage. The incident almost forced cancellations at the Fixed Base Operators, FBOs or private airports.
“In the beginning, it was a little bit scary because everybody had to stop; interCaribbean, United, Delta and I think they had to make special arrangements to get American off on-time today, which was a blessings, they came up with work-arounds and some of the fire fighters started coming in to help. For the FBO, the problem is that most of the one percent visitors are coming in on large private jets, they are coming in on Challengers, Gulf Streams and those are fire-fighting category six. So, for most of the day we were operating at category five, so that meant that some of our customers could not come in today or could not take off. Luckily the Airports Authority worked it out, just before I had to start notifying customers.”
The 23 men and two women which make up the fire crew at their airport told Magnetic Media that they were treated unfairly by the Airports Authority. Overtime pay was unpaid and sometimes their hours were adversely manipulated, the fire station where the crew could spend up to 16-hours on shift, was run down according to the spokesperson for the group.
Speaking to us at her office at Provo Air Center, which is located on Aviation Drive, Aharon said: “I don’t know much about it (the complaints) but I would certainly hope that the Airports Authority is going to put every effort into making sure that they have the comfortable working environment that they need.”
The fire fighters on Friday afternoon managed to secure a meeting with the Premier, the Governor and the Deputy Chairman of the TCIAA board; it led to an amicable end to the stalemate and a return to work with the crew feeling optimistic about concerns finally being addressed.
For Provo Air Center, which handles the lion share of private flights to Providenciales, this was great news.
“I really hesitated to notify customers, because we don’t want this to get out into the world. So, I think we dodged a major bullet today. I hope that they’re going to keep the dialogue going and they’re going to reach a good agreement in order for us not to have to face this again.”
Both Provo Air Center and Blue Heron Aviation share a site with the Providenciales International Airport. The fire fighters stationed at PLS are trained, equipped and mandated by international regulations to be on emergency stand-by in the event planes landing at either of the three facilities, experience trouble.
#magneticmedianews
#airportfirefightersstrike
#provoaircenter
Turks and Caicos, October 28, 2025 – We are closely monitoring the impact of Hurricane Melissa on Jamaica, and our thoughts and prayers are with our regional neighbours for their safety and well-being
We are now entering a critical period as Hurricane Melissa advances towards the Turks and Caicos Islands. Current projections indicate that Hurricane Melissa will begin to impact the Turks and Caicos Islands around midday tomorrow, Wednesday, 29th October.
This morning, Her Excellency the Governor and the Hon. Premier chaired a State of Preparedness Meeting. All Government agencies and critical services are mobilised. The safety and protection of every person across our Islands remains our highest priority. Our emergency response teams are prepared and the TCI Regiment is deployed across each of our Islands to support community readiness and immediate response. The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force are on active duty, with additional officers in North Caicos, Salt Cay, South Caicos and Grand Turk.
At this time, the hurricane is moving north-northeast. The country is expected to experience tropical storm conditions, heavy rainfall and
significant storm surge. The storm surge poses a serious concern for low-lying coastal areas especially along our western and southern coastlines, which may result in coastal flooding. Based on the most current weather projections and anticipated impacts for the Turks and Caicos Islands, the National Executive have agreed the following actions:
1. Evacuation Advisories
Residents in specific low-lying and flood-prone coastal areas are likely to experience significant storm surge of 2-4 feet with accompanying rainfall. Strong advice is now place for residents in these areas to relocate to designated shelters which will be open from 4pm this afternoon. These areas include:
Middle Caicos
- Conch Bar Nearest Shelter: The Community Centre
North Caicos
- Sandy Point Nearest Shelter : Sandy Point Community Centre
- Whitby Nearest Shelter: Adelaide Oemler Primary School
- Bottle Creek Nearest Shelter: Adelaide Oemler Primary School
Providenciales
-
-
- Chalk Sound Nearest Shelter Enid Capron Primary School
- Five Cays Nearest Shelter: Enid Capron Primary School
- Discovery Bay Nearest Shelter: All Saints Church, Leeward Highway
- Juba Sound Nearest Shelter: A. Louise Garland High School
- Long Bay Nearest Shelter: A. Louise Garland High School
-
South Caicos
- Cockburn Harbour Nearest Shelter: Community Centre
- Old Airport Road Nearest Shelter: Community Centre
Should an evacuation order become necessary, it will be issued following the 6:00 PM Advisory this evening from the TCI National Weather Service.
2. Activation of Emergency Operations Centre
The National Emergency Operations Centre in Providenciales and all Islands Emergency Operations Centres will be activated at 4:00 PM today.
3. Shelters Access
Shelters across all Islands will open today at 4:00 PM to receive members of the public.
4. Shelter-in-Place
A Strong Shelter-in-Place Advisory is in place for all islands, commencing at 10:00 PM tonight. This will be in place until the all clear has been issued.
This means that from 10:00 PM tonight, all residents should be off the road, in a safe location, either at home or a designated shelter.
Please note that this position may be revised following the 6:00 PM Advisory from the TCI National Weather Service, depending on updated storm projections.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) has confirmed that all airports remain fully operational for today. They will advise the public about ongoing operations dependent on the weather impacts.
In times such as this, the role of commercial entities extends beyond business – it becomes a vital part of the community’s resilience. All retailers and service providers are urged to uphold their humanitarian responsibilities by maintaining fair pricing and ensuring essential goods and services remain accessible to all.
Residents and visitors are reminded to adhere strictly to all official advisories and evacuation orders as they are issued. Avoid unnecessary movement, secure your property, and ensure that you and your family are prepared with essential supplies. Stay prepared and stay safe.
Turks and Caicos, October 24, 2025 – Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey delivered an impassioned address to male students at Clement Howell High School, calling on them to recognize their power, seize their potential, and “awaken the sleeping giants” within.
In a message that blended humility, faith, and personal experience, the Commissioner reminded the boys that the decisions they make today will shape their future.“The choices you make today determine who you become tomorrow,” he said.
Bailey, who revealed he was the first in his family to attend high school, urged the students to embrace education and discipline as tools of
transformation.“Knowledge is power. If you want to be a real man, you need to read,” he told them. “Remember your potential — if others can do it, so can you. Some of you are sleeping giants waiting to be awakened.”
He emphasized that circumstances of birth do not dictate destiny, challenging the young men to carry self-respect, faith, and moral conviction wherever they go. “Self-respect is key; respect yourself, respect others, and respect God,” he said. “The circumstances you were born into do not define who you are.”
The Commissioner also spoke about resilience, advising that true strength often lies in restraint.
“There will be challenges, and people may try to impede your development — but rise above negativity. Sometimes, strength means walking away,” he said. “Some of you are sleeping lions; it’s time to awaken that instinct and rediscover your true potential.”
In closing, Commissioner Bailey delivered a stirring challenge:
“Each morning, look in the mirror and remind yourself that you were created by God and are capable of great exploits. You are a possibility with potential. Step forward with confidence — this is your country, your islands. Be the best version of yourself.”
Following his speech, the Commissioner engaged the students in open dialogue, answering questions and listening to their perspectives on issues affecting young men in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Developed by Deandrea Hamilton • with ChatGPT (AI) • edited by Magnetic Media.
-
world news1 week ago80% of the World’s Poor Face Climate Hazards — UNDP Sounds Alarm
-
TCI News7 days agoFrontier Airlines’ Arrival to Turks & Caicos Marks a Game-Changing Connection
-
TCI News1 week agoBeaches Turks and Caicos Celebrates TCI National Heritage Day with investment in youth and culture
-
TCI News1 week agoInvest Turks and Caicos Unveils Categories for The MSMES “A Celebration of Excellence”
-
Uncategorized1 week agoISU Supports Successful Multiagency Demolition Exercise in Blue Hills
-
USA7 days agoNarco-Terrorist Take Down by US Gutting Caribbean Gang-Crime
-
TCI News1 week agoTurks & Caicos Police Commissioner Urges Students to “Awaken Their Sleeping Giants”
-
TCI News4 days agoHURRICANE MELISSA: NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTIONS