Firemen call for resignation of chief

PALMA firemen staged an unprecedented protest yesterday morning, calling for the sacking of their chief, Guillem Garcia.
It was staged to coincide with the Christmas visit of Mayor Catalina Cirer and councillor Maria Teresa Jiménez, who is in charge of the security department, to the fire station in the Son Castelló industrial estate. The Mayor chatted with the firemen and promised to meet them on Monday to discuss the problem “because Palma can't afford to have a group such as the firemen unhappy.” As a result of her promise, the firemen held a meeting and elected four representatives who will negotiate with Cirer and Jiménez. Garcia has told Jimenez that he is at her disposition. The Mayor had been warned that the firemen were unhappy and that a demonstration was planned.
When she and Jimenez arrived, they were welcomed by 80 or so firemen holding banners, calling for Garcia to go.
Despite the protest, there were no incidents, and afterwards, the firemen presented the Mayor and councillor with copies of their saucy calendar.
One firemen said that three years ago, they would just have collected signatures on a petition calling for the resignation of the fire chief, but there had never been a demonstration like yesterday's, backed by 85 percent of the force.