THE Jamaica Police Federation has renewed pleas for a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Ministry of National Security to establish specialised hospital protocols aimed at ensuring that ailing cops receive prompt, dedicated care.

The call came during the thanksgiving service for the late Corporal Caple Ferraro of the constabulary’s Marine Division in Negril, Westmoreland, who passed last month from renal complications.

The federation, in a tribute presented by executive member Corporal Tanisha Lewis, said the details surrounding the passing of the 23-year veteran of the constabulary “illuminated with painful clarity the gaps that exist within our emergency response framework”.

“When Corporal Ferraro’s life hung in the balance, the nearest ambulance was stationed in Lucea, too distant to provide the urgent care he required. In that moment of crisis our marked service vehicle should… not [have been] the substitute for what should have been a professional ambulance,” Lewis said during the service held at Foot Prints Seventh-day Adventist Church in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, on March 8.

Noting that this was “not a criticism born of anger, but an observation grounded in concern for every officer who wears this uniform”, she said “the Police Federation has long championed the cries of our membership for more tangible support”.

“We acknowledge the Government’s provision of a hearse to the constabulary, and we extend heartfelt thanks to the Black River dialysis team [for] their compassion and their service. Their support was not about money but about respect for the police and the value of human life. Yet, gratitude does not diminish the urgent reality. A hearse transports our members at the end of their journey. What we require is an ambulance, fully equipped and staffed by medical professionals, to intervene before that journey reaches its tragic conclusion,” Lewis stated.

She said on this basis, the federation was renewing its call for a formal agreement which “would establish a structural response to the circumstances like those that claimed our colleague”.

“There must be a working protocol — clearly defined and properly resourced — to address the systematic weakness that we have identified. Our officers should never look and face the uncertainty of whether emergency medical support will arrive in time,” she declared.

According to the federation, there are international models that Jamaica can tailor to its context.

“This is not only about Corporal Ferraro, it is about every officer who deserves, every family who waits, and every citizen who depends on us. His passing echoes the tragedy of others before him, reminding us that we cannot remain silent. The Police Federation will continue to champion this cause until our members receive the protection they deserve,” Lewis said.

Ferraro, who fell ill at home on the day he passed, was taken to a private facility in Black River for his weekly treatment and later transported to Black River Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Another colleague, speaking during the thanksgiving service, said while being transported to Black River to the dialysis centre on the day he passed, Ferraro, a perpetual problem solver, “was advising the driver of the service vehicle to use the siren if the vehicle had one”.

In 2024 the Jamaica Information Service reported that the Jamaica Constabulary Force, in enhancing its Medical Services Branch (MSB), added five new ambulances to its fleet to ensure dedicated, rapid-response ambulance services for cops injured in the line of duty.

The MSB, based at Twickenham Park in St Catherine, provides comprehensive health, wellness, and medical services to police officers, staff, and their families.