A member of the New Horizon Project, a former fire-fighter in the Maryland Fire & Rescue Department in the US visited the Guyana Fire Service last Wednesday to make his expertise available in light of the recent fire at the Ministry of Health.
A news release from Chief Fire Officer Marlon Gentle said the representative of the New Horizon Project also held discussions pertaining to long and short-term assistance and is still in contact with the GFS. The former fire-fighter was not named.
The release noted that on July 17 at approximately 3:10 am the GFS responded to a fire at the Ministry of Health, Brickdam and investigations were immediately launched by the department to determine the cause of the fire.
The discovery of a number of incendiary devices recovered in close proximity to the affected buildings, the release said, gave a clear indication that there was an intention to maliciously set fire to the buildings in the Ministry of Health compound.
The investigating team from the GFS along with ranks of the Guyana Police Force worked the fire scene continuously from the time of the fire until July 20 and then the scene was subsequently processed and handed over to the health ministry, the release added.
It stated also that following the handing over of the fire scene on July 20 the GFS was contacted by the USA’s Military Liaison Office (USMLO) to introduce a member of the New Horizon Project who was a former fire- fighter from the Maryland Fire & Rescue Department and to make his expertise available to the GFS in light of the fire at the Ministry of Health.