Fire Services Director Pedro Encarnacion will retire May 4 and has been placed on sick leave until that date. The sudden announcement from Government House came Thursday night.
Government House sources confirmed Thursday that Encarnacion underwent extensive brain surgery less than two years ago. "It will lead to his retirement from government service," the source said late Thursday afternoon.
Encarnacion will attain 20 years in government service on May 4. Gov. Charles W. Turnbull praised him and noted great improvements in the department during Encarnacion's tenure.
But Encarnacion had been criticized as a hands-off, "absentee director" by Fire Services personnel in Senate hearings last month. No one at Government House would say how Encarnacion's health concerns were brought to light.
Gov. Charles W. Turnbull named Ian Williams of St. Thomas as acting Fire Services director effective immediately. Williams is a former fire marshal in the district of St. Thomas-St. John. He has been director of transportation in the Property and Procurement Department for the past two years.
