Fire equipment procured at the cost of some $92M was handed over to the Guyana Fire Service by Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee on Friday at a ceremony at the National Park, Thomas Lands.
The minister handed over the keys to one hose lane lorry, five fire tenders and one trailer pump to Chief Fire Officer Marlon Gentle, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
The hose lane lorry is designed to provide effective service as it relates to fire responses in urban scenarios, and it is equipped with 1.2 miles of hose to substitute for the unavailability of fire hydrants in some areas, GINA said.
Rohee in his brief remarks noted that the administration in providing the relevant equipment has been seeking to expand the scope and the coverage provided by the Fire Service.
And to this end, the Hinterland Fire Strategy was developed to ensure that residents living in the outlying regions benefit from the service of fire protection. This plan is set to be implemented in areas such as Mabaruma, Port Kaituma, Mahdia, Lethem, and Kwakwani, GINA stated.
In the meantime, the GFS has also commenced the training of volunteers in the hinterland who will form part of its auxiliary arm, performing firefighting duties.
And Chief Fire Officer Gentle noted that there has been a continuous trend in retooling and expanding the Fire Service. He added that with the acquisition of these vital pieces of equipment, the organisation’s level of efficiency will increase.
Thus far for 2011, there has been a 30 percent decrease in total fire calls, 34 percent in the number of persons affected by fires, 10 percent decrease in the destruction of properties, 23 percent decrease in buildings severely damaged by fires, 16 percent reduction in deaths and 22 percent decrease in buildings slightly damaged by fires.
“These reductions are indicative of the Fire Service’s interventions and timely responses,” Gentle posited.
The GFS currently has 14 stations, with two more coming on stream shortly. The station at Mahaica is scheduled to be commissioned shortly while a contract has already been awarded for the construction of the station at Diamond, East Bank Deme-rara, GINA concluded.
