SFRSA gets new leaders   |15 October 2022

Ms Domingue being promoted by Minister Fonseka

Tally Domingue is the new Chief Fire Officer (CFO) of the Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency, while Jones Madeleine is the new deputy Chief Fire Officer.

The pair was promoted yesterday morning during the first official promotional ceremony held at the SFRSA headquarters.

Ms Domingue has served at the agency for 25 years and has extensive knowledge in different aspects of fire safety such as fire administration, risk and disaster management, enforcement of established fire code regulations, policies and procedures regarding fire suppression, investigation and prevention, as well as hazardous material response. 

She has also been involved in the formulation of policies, the development of manuals and plans relating to the elimination of fire risks.

Ms Domingue noted that she has always looked upon her years in service as a vocation and not as a job, vowing to seize the opportunity towards the advancement of the agency, and the achievement of its strategic goals and visions.

“I want to see the service flourish to become what it is meant to be; a beacon in fire safety and

discipline; building on the good work and the legacy of my predecessors, the past CFOs that have coached and mentored me throughout my 25 years in the service,” she said.

“While I have no doubt that this will be an incredibly challenging position and I ask the staff to bear with me through the transition as we aspire to be better and I am excited to work with the newly appointed deputy Chief Fire Officer Jones Madeleine and develop and enhance an organisation that continues to deliver an exceptional service to our communities,” Ms Domingue stated.

Mr Madeleine, who has served for 26 years, occupying the position of senior divisional officer prior to the promotion, possesses substantial knowledge and skills in fire safety, fire suppression, prevention, inspection and investigation. He is also vastly experienced in road traffic accidents and hazardous material response, also playing a significant role in the formulation of internal policies, rules and regulations, and the development of SFRSA’s strategic plans.  

Addressing the men and women who make up the fire services and the newly appointed leaders, President Wavel Ramkalawan affirmed his full support and that of government towards the agency.

“Each time the sirens go off from here, it means there are properties in danger, lives in danger and communities in danger. Therefore, this is a reminder of the really important role which our people in the fire services have – to protect property, lives, and we know how saddened you are when you arrive on scene and cannot do anything,” President Ramkalawan stated.

In forging ahead, the President highlighted the importance of placing more emphasis on training and prevention, and the importance for all forces, including the military and police, to have a fire-fighting component, towards improving collaboration with the SFRSA, something which became evident with the recent fire on landfill 2, Providence.

Attracting more youths to join the agency is also a priority, the President added.

In concluding his address, President Ramkalawan committed to assisting and supporting the agency with its equipment needs, thanking the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for assisting with equipment and protective equipment.

Minister for Internal Affairs Errol Fonseka who administered the promotions, noted during his remarks that fire service is one of the hardest jobs out there, involving long hours and hard physical labour, with the men and women working in dangerous and life-threatening situations. He encouraged the agency’s new leaders to do their best to lead their teams to success, to deliver on the nation’s expectations. 

Special tokens were presented to outgoing Chief Fire Officer Regis Bethew, who has served for over 40 years.

In recent months, the SFRSA has had to respond to an ammonia leak incident, the landfill fire, a fire in a public bus this week, and other fire incidents over the course of the week.

The SFRSA was officially created in July 2010, after operating as a Fire Brigade under the Police department since 1976.

The ceremony was also attended by Vice-President Ahmed Afif, a number of cabinet members, Commissioner of Police Ted Barbe, chairperson of the Security and Defence Committee of the National Assembly Clifford Andre and members, as well as principal secretaries. 

Former Chief Fire Officer Pastor Eddy Payet who served for 34 years before his retirement in 2010 was also in attendance.

Laura Pillay

Photos by Louis Toussaint