Dear Editor,
In Guyana, we see a growth in commercial buildings and they are being built using lighter materials. They also consume much more electricity because of the technology used in this modern age. All of this makes a building a higher fire risk.
In developing countries and even in the Caribbean, commercial buildings over three stories require the installation of fire sprinklers; if the owners do not comply the building will not pass the inspection. In Guyana, the government seems to look past this simple safety requirement failing to realize the risks and losses involved in a fire.
The safety of people in Guyana should be taken more seriously.
The reason most countries are more developed is because they have looked at the past to build a better future, realizing the extensive use of electronics and the larger number of people occupying commercial buildings and the risk this entailed. I strongly believe that we should follow those same patterns, making our country safer for everyone.
The installation of fire sprinklers is not expensive, and if a building owner has employed their own money or taken out a loan to build a multi-million dollar building why would they find it an added expense to install fire sprinklers for customers’ safety? Our government has to take the step and make fire sprinklers mandatory for commercial buildings.
An insurance company wouldn’t care about making fire sprinklers mandatory on their fire insurance policies because their interest really is just for you to pay the premium on your fire insurance policy.
Old buildings too can have fire sprinklers installed; they are not just for new buildings.
Again I say, fire sprinklers should be mandatory for commercial buildings in Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Vishul Ishwaridin
