-PPP donated land

Bartica residents on Friday officially welcomed the region’s first fire station which was constructed at a cost of $17M, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

And since its mobilisation, ranks at the Bartica Fire Station have already responded to two calls for assistance.

Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee in his remarks at the commissioning ceremony said that with the presence of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), which is part of the Joint Services in Bartica, residents can look forward to greater security in the region.

He noted that although the strength of the GFS is based on the coast, steps are being taken to extend the essential service of fire protection throughout the length and breadth of the country.

The land on which the facility now stands was made available free of cost to the Home Affairs Ministry by the People’s Progressive Party, GINA stated.

Rohee said that in an effort to prevent a recurrence of the July 1 fire at Mahdia or any other outlying location, the GFS is revisiting its hinterland protection plan to determine the steps to be taken, despite limited resources, in order to offer some form of fire protection to those residents.

He lauded the 19 volunteers of the auxiliary arm of the service in Bartica for the valuable contribution that they are making for their community.

Chief Fire Officer Marlon Gentle said that fire-fighting in Bartica will be two-pronged, a rough terrain unit and an urban response unit, to ensure that residents from all areas in the region are provided with the service.

“We want to use this Bartica community as a model to show the partnership between the community and the GFS, in order to respond to emergencies within the region,” Gentle was quoted by GINA as saying.

Representing the private sector, Captain Gerald Gouveia in his brief remarks said that the establishment of the Bartica Fire Station was consistent with the development taking place across the country.

He urged the ranks who will be stationed at the facility, not only to be reactive but to focus on preventative measures as well.

In April, another historic fire station was commissioned at Onverwagt in Region Five and subsequently, as a result of a vibrant public/private partnership, another station was commissioned at Rosehall Town, Region Six, GINA concluded.