–Fire Chief, City Mayor urge citizens, business owners to dispose of waste properly

By Naomi Parris

IF one were to walk down Regent Street, or any street in central Georgetown on any given day, it would be difficult to spot a fire hydrant at first glance, since many of them are often covered in debris.

This slows down the ability of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) to respond the way it ought to in the event of an emergency or fire.
Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle following a fire on Regent Street on Sunday evening, Fire Chief Marlon Gentle has disclosed that on numerous occasions when the fire service responds to a fire in the city, they are faced with the difficulty of locating or having to clear a fire hydrant from debris, which slows down their response.

“This is a situation that we would have encountered more than once; not only garbage but also construction material, and even old cars. And so we find that they are blocking hydrants,” the Fire Chief told the Guyana Chronicle on Monday, adding: “If you move around, especially in the built-up areas, you will see most of the hydrants have some level of vandalism on them.”

The Fire Chief further noted that there is a need for business owners and citizens to change their attitude to how they dispose of their garbage around the city, especially near fire hydrants.
“I think that it is time people should act more responsibly. Fire hydrants are not there for somebody’s whim, or to be used to park cars next to; it’s there for a fire. For, when we have these situations, and if we get here and those hydrants are not functioning or not located, it delays our response; it delays our fire tactics and our mechanisms to extinguish [a] fire, so it definitely is concerning,” he said.

Fire hydrants exist only for use in the event of a fire, and emergency cases where the Guyana Water Incorporated [GWI] sees fit, based on its own assessment.
Also, persons are expected to park their vehicles at least three feet away from a fire hydrant.

‘IT’S OUR RESPONSIBILITY’
Meanwhile, the Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine, who was also on the scene of the Regent Street fire, has expressed disappointment with the state of several fire hydrants in the city.
“I was there at the fire, and where the garbage actually went, it’s not vendor’s garbage; it is huge boxes, and these things what the stores them does dispose of. And that place is every single day covered with that amount of garbage,” the Mayor lamented, adding, “That is a clear picture to show that the business people need to pay a little more interest in their business environment, because every reaction has a reaction, and we saw the reaction on Sunday.”

He stated that for far too long, the city council has borne the brunt of the blame for the debris covering fire hydrants.
“In Regent Street, they don’t care; and these things are actually piled up there. Every day, we are moving it; and you see what it caused on Sunday. The Mayor and City Council get blame; I won’t take blame for it,” the Mayor said.

He called on business owners and vendors to keep the area clean and clear of garbage.
“As citizens of Georgetown,” he said, “we have a responsibility as well; the business owners, they have a responsibility as well.”

Mayor Narine is hoping that other business owners will treat the recent tragedy as a lesson, and change their attitude and the way they dispose of their solid waste.
“We have a responsibility to play in our environment, and the business sector should learn from this,” he said, adding: “If the stakeholders can come and let us have a meeting and deal with this garbage issue, it will be better for all of us.”