Dear Editor,

NO one knows for sure whether the destruction of the Brickdam Police Station by fire could have been, avoided, but almost everyone knows that fire hydrants, fire trucks and access to water should be the ultimate choices in any future housing development in Guyana.

Proper single and commercial building designs, safety systems and building codes regulations should also be of high priority for future housing development. From the inception of a flame, safety measures must kick start the process of containment and evacuation of personnel while those trained in disaster management (fire fighters, ambulance attendants etc) must be on hand to save lives and to evacuate and assist in other ways possible. This scenario suggests that Guyana would, at some time in the future, get a modern, well-designed and fully equipped fire service stations. But this is not the case today.

The Brickdam Police Station fire is yet another episode where the fire service displayed the gaping holes in its function and equipment. The questions on most minds are: were there any smoke alarms/detectors and fire extinguishers on the premise or fire hoses inside the standard glass cabinets? What is even more mind boggling is the time taken for the fire trucks that were only a few blocks away to arrive at the conflagration site at Brickdam. It seems that the incompetency and poor service of the Fire Service has once again have been exposed to the entire public.

The public, but especially disaster management personnel, must be familiar with the five primary methods that are employed worldwide in cases of fire. The acronym RACEE aptly depicts this: R=rescue anyone in immediate danger, A=alarm-call the fire department, C=confine the smoke/fire by closing doors and windows, E=evacuate all persons and E=extinguish small fires with portable fire extinguishers if possible.

In Guyana, strict building codes and regular inspections are needed to prevent fires, save buildings and most importantly, save lives. This can be achieved by a complete overhaul of its building codes and safety standards that includes:

1. The Ministry of Housing must make sure that all buildings in Guyana confirm to the country’s building codes and that single family homes are not secretly converted into tenant occupied residences so that homeowners can obtain some extra income from rental. The reason is that the the original plumbing and electric systems for a single-family home will to have to support tenants with additional appliances for the same outlets after the conversion is made.

In other words, in a single-family house the electrical system was built to accommodate one microwave oven, a specific number of air conditioners and a fridge, among others, however, having tenants in a converted single family building to a multi-family structure means more appliances that could induce overloading of the electrical circuits and thus result in overheating . In some cases, extension cords are hidden under carpets, and their multiple connections could induce sparks from overload which in turn could result in burning the carpet.

2. It is time for the electrical system, components, and installation codes be updated to international standards. For example, the main power distribution centre in both residential and commercial buildings should be equipped with circuit breakers that would trip and shut off the power in the event of an overload.

3. For the safety of all Guyanese, young or old, the Bureau of Standards must monitor the quality of electrical fittings and accessories, most of which are imported from China. And while these electrical accessories are cheap, the Bureau of Standards should not sacrifice life for cost. Also, the housing authority must determine the safety features and occupancy of commercial buildings. Single and multi-family buildings should be inspected regularly, perhaps twice a year as a safety measure to prevent fires, and to make sure that they conform to their specific occupancy codes.

4. Building codes and zoning regulations should be updated to allow a minimum space of roughly eight feet between buildings to facilitate evacuation as well as allow access to firefighters and ambulance attendants etc.

5. Given the spate of recent fires on commercial buildings, it should be mandated that all commercial buildings be fitted with modern sprinkler systems to prevent their entire destruction in case of fire. Automated oxygen retardant systems (halogens is often used) should also be installed inside commercial buildings so that an increase in temperature (say at 110 F) will trigger off the chemical spray which will reduce atmospheric oxygen thus containing the fire. Smoke alarms should be installed in homes and along the corridors of commercial buildings which are the principal pathways for smoke.

6. Fire hydrants, which are generally taken for granted by many, should be seen as a means of emergency water supply to out fires. In the final analysis, the authorities should put safety first and institute polices which must be mandated by law, to prevent further tragedies. All buildings must have sprinkler systems and undergo regular inspection by the Fire Department where pitfalls will be identified and corrected. Fines must be imposed on all forms of non-compliance if Guyana is truly serious about preventing fires. The burning down of Brickdam Police Station should be a wake-up call for all.

Leyland Chital Roopnaraine
Real Estate Builder (New York)