By Ariana Gordon

THE Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the July 8 fire at the Drop-in Centre which claimed the lives of two young brothers has found that there were several systemic problems including “bad policy arrangements” in the event of fires at the facility.Speaking at a post Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday, Minister of State Joseph Harmon revealed that the preliminary reported handed over to the Ministry of the Presidency on July 22, “pointed to some issues of bad policy arrangements for fire.”

He said there was a lack of coordination between entities responsible for the management of the Drop-in Centre.

“It pointed to the fact that there was not enough collaboration between entities that had to do with the management of the Drop-in Centre; it pointed to the fact there were not enough drills for emergencies and or fire,” said the Minister of State.

He further noted that the systemic problems identified in the preliminary report, which was also reviewed by President David Granger, must be addressed with urgency. Those problems, he said, are not limited to the Drop-in Centre but also all other government facilities.

“We have to look at our fire codes, our building standard and the fact that in some buildings when you look around you don’t see a fire point, even in the schools…” Harmon said.

“The APNU+AFC administration is going to have to work to have a return of some level of standards to public buildings,” the Minister told reporters. He said some of the very traditions that were upheld in the past relevant to safety measures have been lost “along the way.”

“[We are] rebuilding standards and rebuilding the country to ensure we can have a safe country, buildings and safe communities,” the Minister of State added.

Six-year old Joshua George and his two-year old brother Antonio died in the July 8 fire after being trapped in a section of the Drop-in Centre located on Hadfield Street, Georgetown. The Drop-in Centre was under the management of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) and at the time of the fiery incident, housed 28 children and two adults.

Retired Colonel Windee Algernon was sworn in as Commissioner for the Inquiry on July 15. She was required to examine, advice, report and to probe into all the circumstances surrounding the death of the brothers and to report its findings and conclusions, along with recommendations to prevent recurrences of that nature.

She was also required to assess the nature of the injuries sustained by all the children who were in the care and custody of the State at the Drop-in-Centre at the time of the fire, as well as to assess the dangers to which children and the staff were exposed at the time of the incident.

Additionally, Algernon was required to determine whether the conduct of the staff at the Drop-in –Centre, who was on duty on July 8, was in conformity with the required statutory obligations of the State and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

President David Granger a few days after the fire expressed sadness at the loss of lives, while noting that the children at the Hadfield Street home were not trained to respond to emergency situations.

He made it clear that should there be culpability on the part of managers then those persons would be held accountable for the death of the children. The President stressed that an investigation is necessary so as to ensure that there is not a repeat of such a tragedy. He said it is not his preference for children to be placed in government facilities, but rather for them to remain with their families.
“The government doesn’t go around trying to separate children from their parents. Children need the support and love and care which can come from a family,” the President had said.

Joshua and Antonio George and their three other siblings were removed from their parents’ home and placed at the Drop-in Centre on July 6, following allegations of unfit conditions at their Chapel and Norton Street home.

But even as Government has accepted responsibility for the death of the two children, Minister Harmon told reporters on July 15 that the George family will receive compensation from Government only after the completion of the CoI.