THE Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has successfully rolled out its Hinterland Fire Protection Plan for Port Kaituma under which 12 volunteers were recently trained.

Chief Fire Officer Marlon Gentle said Port Kaituma was also equipped with a mobile pump and a fire-fighting trailer to respond to fires in the community and the GFS is hoping to do the same in Mabaruma shortly.
He added that similarly, the Hinterland Fire Protection Plan was also established in Kwakwani, Lethem and Mahdia and the same will be done in Kumaka.
Gentle noted that the GFS has been decentralising its operations to ensure that outlying communities receive better fire-fighting services and this has been achieved with support from the business community and public-spirited citizens.
Meanwhile, the GFS is on a continuous expansion programme and the Diamond Fire Station is soon to be completed while a new training facility is under construction at Leonora, West Coast Demerara.
Gentle pointed out that the void that previously existed in the reach of the GFS in the hinterland has been filled through the introduction of the Hinterland Fire Protection Plan.
And the expansion of the services, he added, was most important in light of the rapid growth and development witnessed in the hinterland communities in recent times.
The hinterland target communities include Kumaka, Port Kaituma, Moruca, Mabaruma, Lethem, Mahdia and Kwakwani.
Gentle told the Chronicle that the plan provides for a partnership in its implementation, involving the GFS and residents who have been showing a high level of interest.
Moreover, the implementation is expected to be accelerated this year.
The GFS has grown over the years from a fire service with a mere five ill-equipped fire stations to a total of 15 fire stations, which are outfitted with modern fire-fighting vehicles and equipment across the country.
Notwithstanding persistent criticisms, the GFS has made significant strides as an organisation within recent times. This process was not limited only to the construction of new fire stations and the purchase of additional vehicles and equipment as several new administrative measures and legislative reforms were undertaken in advancing the GFS.