UK Fire Officer conducts training programme for ranks as…

Local fire fighters called upon to offer more efficient service
THE GOVERNMENT of Guyana is appreciative of the activities of the Guyana Fire Service, takes note of the difficult conditions under which ranks work, and is therefore doing much to make the profession one of which they could be proud, and in which they would be motivated to serve continuously.
This is according to Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee who, on Tuesday, delivered the feature address at the launch of a two-week training programme for ranks of the Guyana Fire Service at the Central Fire Station in Georgetown.
The training, tailored specially to meet requirements within the  Guyana fire-fighting context, is being conducted by UK Station Officer and Operational Fire Fighter, Mr. Kevin Edcock who has already made an assessment of fire-fighting capabilities in Guyana and commended the ranks highly.
Minister Rohee called on the younger ranks to find their careers in the Guyana Fire Service, and to adopt what he refers to as the ‘staying power’ (permanent tenure) within this sector, from which they can be of  service to their communities.
He congratulated those ranks selected for the programme, adding that it is part of government’s policy to continuously provide training for the disciplined forces.  “Training is an integral part of our policy in relation to the ranks of the disciplined services. It is a must, and we will do whatever we can, using the resources at our disposal,” he said.
Minister Rohee was very instrumental in having Cabinet approve the programme now being rolled out, and over the last two years was locked in dialogue with the Chief Fire Officer, Marlon Gentle, as to the way forward with regard to training for the Fire Service.
He observed that the training comes at a time when the country and the ranks really need such a programme. He welcomed the UK consultant and thanked him for coming to conduct the training for the ranks.
Getting Mr. Alicock here has been rather cost-effective, the Chief Fire Officer said, adding that it would have cost the government approximately  6,500 pounds sterling per rank (tuition alone) to be trained in the UK.
Gentle thanked the minister wholeheartedly for his support, without which, he said, the training would not have been possible.
The last time the GFS benefited from UK training was in 1994, also conducted here. Other initiatives embarked upon involved ranks being sent to Japan, the United States, French Guiana and the Caribbean.
The fire chief said that for the last 10 years or so, the Guyana Fire Service has been addressing ways of upgrading its resource base, in keeping with its plans for retuning and modernising the service.  But there was never any real tailor-made, sustained training programme to suit the Guyana context in preparing a batch of fire-fighters with the requisite skills and knowledge, stressing the importance of both mental and physical preparedness. And so, having got off the ground this time, Gentle referred to it as a ‘red letter day’ for the Service.
The training being undertaken is classified as tailor-made for Guyana’s conditions – since it focuses on fighting fires where there is no water or limited supplies of water around. It will also look at aggressive methods of fire-fighting, which will include fire behaviour, fire tapping, ventilation, and road traffic accidents.
Gentle observed that, increasingly, the Fire Service is being called to respond to cases involving multiple vehicular accidents. “So we are moving gradually from just a fire service to more of a fire and rescue service, and therefore we have to prepare ourselves to deal with those challenges.
Meanwhile, the minister and Fire Chief concurred that, given the pace of technological advances in Guyana, not only in the building industry, but in every strata and field of development, some of which can have risk factors, fire fighters will face greater challenges. 
Giving an insight into the pace of expansion of the volume of work within the service, the Fire Chief recalled that, 12 or 15 years ago, the service responded to about 750 to 800 calls per year, and this has now risen to 2,000 calls per year. This will mean re-tooling, in terms of equipment, as well as the human resource component, preparing ranks to give a proper and efficient service when called upon.

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