HOME Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, while delivering an address to the Fire Advisory Board on Wednesday registered his concern about the Guyana Fire Service.

The minister was at the time briefing the Fire Advisory Board on many issues within the fire service, which he described as “deficits”, and charged it “to become aware, engaged and assertive in identifying and addressing these deficits”.

Benn registered serious concern as it relates to assets of the Fire Service being destroyed due to a lack of maintenance and other reasons, and failure of the service to make “effective use” of the assets. He highlighted that there exists an issue of “proper strategic management” as it pertains to assets of the Fire Service.

“There is an expectation, perhaps, that every couple years we will buy new fire trucks at $90M each, but if you take the trouble to walk to the fire stations, you will see assets there which have come and have not been used properly, which could be restored and put back into service,” Benn said.

To buttress his claims, the minister referenced a recent visit he made to the West Ruimveldt Fire Station at Lot 18 Cactus Street & Ebenezer Drive, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, on Sunday last, where he witnessed many of the issues first-hand.

The Home Affairs Minister also complained bitterly about the training firefighting personnel undergoes, as well as their engagement in firefighting, noting that there is a “serious deficit” there as well. Additionally, he highlighted the lack of proper equipment, and where the equipment exists, that lack of effective use thereof.

Benn informed the board of a fire at Montrose, East Coast Demerara, which he visited, and witnessed the Fire Service in action. He explained that the blaze erupted at approximately 1:00hrs, and he arrived at the scene at approximately 2:30hrs, however, by that time the fire tenders would have already exhausted their water.

“I was talking with distressed residents and somebody said they [the fire service] were going for more water, and I said okay the Montrose pump station is just over there, barely a 1,000 feet away, but the trucks came back all the way to Georgetown and didn’t reappear for two hours, and there is a big lake in front of the Montrose pump” Benn said.

He added: “The Fire Service has to pay some attention to its people, lifting their morale and the confidence which they supposed to aspire to; they have to wear their uniforms and protective gear they are supposed to have, they have to be able to go in and attack a fire with safety of course, with breathing apparatus on, so they could get the job done,” Benn said.