Fireman at the Top of Transportation Center Building in Kingston, Convinced to Come!

Fire Chief - Commissioner Stewart Beckford

On Tuesday, March 14, 2023, I heard on the radio at a few minutes to 0900 EST, that a man was on top of the Transportation Centre building in Halfway Tree. When I hit Constant Spring Road at about 0915, the traffic was piling up rapidly. It took me about half an hour to reach to the centre of the excitement. I saw a man perched on top of that metal arch which spans majestically across the building. I could barely recognize the figure of a person waying a flag.

One slip and that man could have fallen to the ground.  I must thank the fire chief who made it to my interview, even though he had to be busy dealing with the crisis at the same time.

I subsequently learnt that the man who had climbed to the top of the Transportation Center building was having some work challenges and he was suspended. Apparently this was his way of bringing attention to his situation. He was atop that building for over three hours, waving his flag in the heat of the sun.

Attempts were made to get family members to come on the scene to see him they could persuade him to come down from that dangerous position. Eventually they got a psychiatrist, Dr. Saphire Longmore. She was hoisted in the bucket of the fire truck, close enough to the man in order to converse with him. I understand that using her professional experience and the beautiful personality that she has, she was able to melt his heard and he eventually came down.

I must admit that I went through a tense period while doing my show because of this, and I prayed and prayed that he would have been convinced to come down. I am glad he did, come down, because things could have ended up in a very bad way.