The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has handed over a quantity of oil spill equipment to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard.
According to the GDF Facebook page, the event was another step in building the country’s response posture to ensure that resources are strategically positioned for quick and effective action in the event of a spill. The Coast Guard is a member of the National Oil Spill Committee and has the lead response responsibility in accordance with the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan.
The oil spill equipment that was handed over included 24,000 feet of containment booms, biological and chemical dispersants, hot water pressure washers and personal protective equipment.
CDC Director General, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig during the ceremony, noted that, in the context of Guyana’s emerging oil sector the probability of spills occurring exists and as such the government has been building a comprehensive oil spill response. He urged that there should be role-specific training and testing of equipment to ensure familiarity and ease of mission execution.
Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Shahoud received the donation on behalf of the Force and expressed appreciation for the gesture.
“We know that all agencies are doing their best to ensure that we never have to resort to the equipment. Nevertheless, it is a Coast Guard premier function to ensure that we are ready to deal with any eventualities.” Lt Col Shahoud remarked.