Fire Service gets four new tenders
Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, handing over keys to the new fire tenders to Fire Chief, Kalamadeen Edoo on Thursday (Delano Williams photo)
Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, handing over keys to the new fire tenders to Fire Chief, Kalamadeen Edoo on Thursday (Delano Williams photo)

–three allotted to Reg. 4;relocation of headquarters being considered

MINISTER of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, on Thursday, presented the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) with four new fire tenders valuing collectively $175 million, courtesy of the Government of Guyana.
The handing over was done during the opening of the fire service’s annual senior officers conference at the Guyana Police Force Training Centre at Eve Leary.
The new tenders will be deployed to Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); Melanie Damishana, on the East Coast Demerara; Eccles, on the East Bank Demerara; and the GFS headquarters at Stabroek, in the capital, Georgetown.
The acquisition and formal handing over of those tenders bring the number of serviceable fire tenders in the service’s fleet of vehicles to 38.

A close-up of one of the new fire tenders (Delano Williams photo)

While not directly related to the new acquisitions, Minister Benn seized the opportunity to appeal to those in administrative positions at the conference to work on making the service more appealing to persons of various walks of life, particularly those of the ‘fairer sex’, for whom he asked that they make the environment as welcoming as possible. “We have to move forward and develop and improve on the issue of diversity,” Minister Benn said, adding: “Diversity brings in other experiences; other approaches; better optimisation in what we do, and makes it possible for us to be more efficient in totality.”
As if on cue, Fire Chief, Kalamadeen Edoo, assured the minister that the fire service will be employing a ten-point system to improve the quality of service it provides.
The annual conference will provide a platform for the senior officers of the GFS to come up with a strategic plan so that together they can implement new strategies that would not only boost its image, but also make it more efficient and effective.

TEN-POINT PLAN
The ten-point plan at reference entails the modernisation and renovation of existing fire stations; collaboration with government agencies; implementation of a fire service building code; establishment of a legal department; creation of an Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) department; training courses for staff both locally and internationally; establishment of a public relations unit; operational pole training for all staff; and expansion of emergency medical service.
“Over the next two days, we will focus on our areas of challenges, with a view to identifying the gap and strengthening the weaknesses, so as to enhance the services we provide to the citizens of our country,” Fire Chief Edoo said, adding: “We recognise that competence and enhanced performance can only be realised if structural changes are taking place.

During our deliberations, we will certainly fine-tune, considering in greater detail our 10-point plan. The GFS is committed to improving its performance, and the provision of service to the nation.” Under the modernisation and renovation of existing fire stations aspect of the plan, one of the major developments will be the relocation of the GFS headquarters from its present location in down-town Stabroek.
For some time now, the fire service has been contemplating this move, due to congestion in the area, which negatively impacts its response time.
“Admittedly, this is a crowded area, and our response to calls is oftentimes delayed, so this is one project that is in the pipeline, which, when realised, will enable our operation to respond with greater precision,” the Fire Chief said.

NEW FIRE STATIONS
The fire service is also looking to operationalise fire stations in Mahdia, Lethem and Mabaruma, where there are currently axillary units in operation; these fire stations are due to come on stream with a permanent staff by the end of this year. A new fire station is also to be established at Eccles, on the East Bank Demerara; all of these expansion efforts, the fire chief said, are geared at improving the infrastructural aspect of the GFS, so as to make it better to envision their role in providing a fire prevention service, and responding appropriately to other emergencies. According to the fire chief, the GFS also intends to increase its collaboration with other government agencies, so as to provide a high quality of service to the general public; this will be done through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), and the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC), which will afford the fire service the opportunity to ensure greater compliance with fire prevention methods.

He stated that the GFS recognises that there is a need for increased inspection of buildings countrywide, and that in light of its role, oversight is meaningful in minimising the outbreak of fires, and possible destruction of buildings. During the course of the year, the fire service is looking to review and amend its existing fire-related regulations, in an effort to bring it in line with international fire prevention best practices.
“This entity cannot continue to function within the current outdated framework, thus support in the form of advice and assistance is expected from legal advisers of the Ministry of Home Affairs,” the fire chief said. (Jared Lidell)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.