These two posts were lifted from Alan Palmer's blog "Crushing Fools"dated July 30 and August 3, 2008. Apparently he was "let go" for his outspoken views of the BPS & BPA, although he maintains that he resigned. Nevertheless he presents some pertinent information that, IMO, has not yet received enough publicity:The B.P.S, The Government of Bermuda, The Hamilton Police Station and the Issue of MoldFor many years, the working condition of the men and women who leave their country and journeyed to Bermuda to work as police officers were ignored but all; and for many decades the protectors of the Bermudian community were forced to execute their duties under working conditions and in buildings that were way below that which were expected from an underdeveloped country.
There are reports that a large number of retired police officers who were forced to exist and function in these edifices suddenly became very sick with all manner of terminal illnesses after leaving Bermuda. Today even after there were an unprecedented number of Healthy young man and women who after working in these same building suddenly became ill, some of whom die; yet no one cared enough to look into the plight of these silent suffers.
It was not until an article appeared on the Crushing Fools Blog on Wednesday 23rd July 2008 title “Which has the greater value Money or Life and Good Health” By Allan H.F Palmer, that heads began to hang in shame and embarrassment. The article revealed some staggering facts and statistics that terrify even the heartless. It was only then that the people in authority started showing some sign of consciousness and as was to be expected they went into their well Choreograph dance of brainlessness; as they claimed that no one knew that the conditions were that serious.
Three days later on 26th July 2008 the same article was published by the Caribbean Net News exposing to the Diaspora the filthy and deplorable conditions their sons and daughters were forced to exist and functioned under in the name of the almighty dollar.
On the 28th July 2008 a well written letter was published by the Caribbean Net News under the caption Mold in Bermuda Police Station. This letter was penned by Susan Brinchman who after reading my article was moved with compassion for the men and women who are and were suffering. Then this problem got further recognition when the Mid-Ocean News of Bermuda ran a front page story bringing to the front some very important concerns of the men in shorts (Bermuda Shorts is the official summer attire for the BPS).
Unfortunately The Bermuda Police Association have not seen it fit to address this very important life and death matter as yet. I hope that the Government of Bermuda decision to have cabinet review their stance on their Judicial Review, (their Civil protest to the decision arrived at in arbitration) has not placed a psychological mussel on the Bermuda Police Association. If this is the case, then I will have to conclude that money is indeed more important than Life and Good Health and our suffering was for nothing.
Posted by Allan H F Palmer
The Bermuda Police Association & the Issue of MoldAfter members of the Bermuda Police Association have suffered death that can be attributed to working in an unhealthy environment, its members are continually becoming ill with all manner of life threatening diseases and after such a valiant display of strength with publicly defying the Government of Bermuda in a protest march; I refused to believe that the Members of the BPA executive committee and its members are afraid to do what is right in a life and death matter.
What is even more unfortunate is, the fact that after two years, of such a deadly revelation being brought to the attention of the Commissioner of Police the B.P.A and the Government of Bermuda; police officers are still forced to function in these tremendously unhealthy environment (mold): Not only that, other citizens who are arrested are detained and kept in such environment also. The Government of Bermuda has an obligation to ensure that when an individual is arrested that individual is kept in a safe place, where no harm can come to him or her. Anyone that is arrested and is detained at the Hamilton Police Station automatically becomes susceptible to life threaten illness, and their chances increases depend on your medical disposition.
The Government of Bermuda are asking supposable intelligent men and women the members Bermuda Police Service to risk death and terminal illness while they perform their duties. This is a most idiotic request and it is only idiots who are going to follow such a request.
When it was discovered that the Cedar Bridge School was infested with mold; the Government without delay evacuated and relocated the entire school population. No one could have asked the teachers to function in such a condition. Why the members of the Bermuda Police Service are still operating in this unhealthy mold environment? The silence and willingness of the police to operate in such an unhealthy environment is testimony of the frailty and lack of courage of that institution. Or is it a situation where the prolong exposure to mold have already destroyed the police ability to think rationally?
This only goes to show how strong the Bermuda Police Association executive and members are. It also show how much respect the Government of Bermuda have for the Police Service the protector of the community.
Mr. Carl Neblett how many more officer have to die, become ill or have the near death experience before you develop the balls or the aptitude to do what is right and is required of you; your Officer need to be treated with more respect, they need to be relocated immediately.
I am therefore seeking answer for the following questions. (from a previous post dated July 23, 2008)
1. Could it be that the unexplained and sudden death of Timothy Herbert, Paul Marsden and Andrew Wooldridge (all healthy men, Marsden and Wooldridge were avid sports men) were as a results of a build up of toxin in their bodies which was resulted from prolong exposure to the mould infested police environment?
2. Could it be, that the sudden and unexplained diagnosis of severe kidney failure that was discovered in Emerson Donald, (who the medical professional predicted will have to be on dialysis in the next few years) was resulted from the prolong or periodic (some people has a disposition to become vulnerable to a toxin) exposure to mold and mold spores infested environment?
3. After all, when Donald complaint of becoming of ill when he was in certain police building; but found relief when he was out of those environment, it was recommended that Donald be evaluated for psychiatric abnormalities.
4. Could it be, that PC Donald body was giving him early warnings of an environment that was unhealthy for him; unfortunately no one took Donald seriously, not even the medical professional took this young husband seriously?
5. Could it be that the sudden diagnosis of Kidney failure in PC Julie is as a results prolong exposure to the mold infested environment (after all she worked at the Hamilton for quite a while) where she assigned?
6. What could have cause, the unexplained and sudden illness of my West Indian colleagues who had gone through a battery of medical testes just a few months earlier and was given a clean bill of health by his family medical practitioner and by the police doctor after a thorough review of his medical records to ensure that this young man was fit to come to Bermuda? Could it be his life threatening illness was as a result of a prolong exposure to a mold and mold spores environment?
7. Could it be, that the unexplained and prolong illness of PCs Raynor, Nurse and Smith, be as a results of the prolong exposure to the same unhealthy environment?
8. Could it also be, that the sudden and unexplained diagnosis of blood clod in both lungs of Wayne, be as a direct result of prolong exposure to the same unhealthy condition that all the others were and are exposed to? Although this could also be as a result of deep vain thrombosis; which I doubt.
For those of you who know PC Wayne as I do, PC Wayne is a fitness freak (jokingly speaking). However putting jokes aside, PC Wayne took his health seriously, he worked-out on a regular basis and he is careful with what he eat. After visiting with PC Wayne (who was thankful for being alive) he explained the whole unfortunate episode to me, which included the symptoms he was experiencing. P C Wayne’s symptoms were consistent to the symptoms that are associated with “Invasive and Chronic Pulmonary Asporgillosis” which are: slight fever, chest pain, coughing, tiredness and the excretion of mucus mixed with blood. Very often an excretion of mucus mixed with blood is a sign that there is blood present in the lungs; and anywhere in the body there is a presence of blood there can be clotting.
9. Could it also be that the unexplained diagnosis of PC Yard’s aneurysm, the unexplained and sudden heart attack of PC Ryan and the many more personnel who are suffering from unexplained medical complication was and is as a result of prolong and or periodic exposure to the unhealthy concentration of mould and mold spores infested environment the Government of Bermuda and the Bermuda Police Service requires that all police officers work in?
10. Could it be that the two occasions when Allan Palmer experienced the sudden inability to breathe during circuit training one severest bout that occurred while running the BPS training school steps (this was witnessed by Peter Clark who expressed concern) was also as a result of working for almost three years in contaminated environment?
11. Why did the B.W.C technicians felt the need to conduct follow up study on the 14th December 2006 on the 4th floor which houses the CID offices?
12. Why the B.W.C technician didn’t see the need to conduct follow up tests on the other floors and areas of the Hamilton Police Station.
13. Was there a post mortem done on Paul Marsden, Andrew Wooldridge and Timothy Herbert?
14. Did the pathologist order toxicology reports for these men?
A. If no, why not?
B. if yes, what was the results of that report?
C. was the total findings handed over to the family of these men?
D. can the B.P.A access these reports?
I have a sneaking suspicion that the report that was made available to the public was an altered copy; for one thing, the pages are not numbered.
15. This lead me to ask the powers that be this question, why didn’t you see it fit to give public access to the finding of the study, which was conducted on the 7th of November 2006 on the 4th floor of the Hamilton Police Station which is located at 42 Parliament Street, Pembroke and which houses the Criminal Investigation Department?
Why there were no test done on the other old (dilapidated) buildings that the Bermuda Police Service occupies?
In Service to Humanity
Allan H.F Palmer
