The Guyana Fire Service received six water tenders and other equipment valued over $60M to boost its service at a ceremony hosted at the National Park on Monday.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release the Ministry of Home Affairs handed over the six water tenders and two water carriers valued over $60.9M. Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said that the new fleet of fire-fighting equipment will contribute significantly to enhancing the capacity of the GFS and complement the ongoing programme to expand and retool the service to meet the demands of the expanding housing and commercial sectors.

Rohee noted that more Guyanese need to put into practice fire prevention instructions and tips that the GFS is publicising. “Many of [the] fires over the past months could have been prevented if these practices were being put into action,” the minister said, adding that “communities have a vital role to play, in support of the Guyana Fire Service to fight and prevent fires.”

Rohee also urged the GFS to ensure that the standard operating procedures are upheld to the highest levels of professionalism.

Chief Fire Officer Marlon Gentle said that the equipment was timely and the GFS is now more prepared and equipped to tackle fires. “When people see fire tenders pumping water from trenches or canals it is not because the tender arrived without water, but because the fire tender does not have the capacity in most cases to extinguish a fire,” he said.

There was no reference in the GINA report of Rohee saying anything about water availability. However, this has been a big problem for the fire service as the fire hydrant system is mostly dysfunctional. At major fires valuable time has been lost trying to find alternative sources of water after the fire tenders run dry. It has been argued that the premier need of the fire service now is not new equipment but assured access to an adequate supply of water to fight fires.

Gentle said that there had been an increase in the number of fires last year. He said the GFS recorded an increase of 488 fire calls due to the El Nino conditions and an increase in the number of buildings involved in fires compared with 2008.

GINA said the equipment was procured through the $318M allocated in 2009 to the GFS for the purchase of 17 pieces of fire-fighting equipment. The release also said the Guyana Fire Prevention Board has identified several buildings in the city that do not have proper fire escapes for their customers. “In addition to that a number of buildings [have] been identified as fire hazards,” Rohee said.