–President Ali announces, says initiative among plans to improve response to fires
AS part of efforts to enhance the response to fires and other emergencies, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, has announced plans for volunteer fire brigades to be trained at Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) across the country.
While addressing members of the Joint Services at a sod-turning event on Monday, the Head of State disclosed that the government intends to make investments in the various security institutions to advance their respective capabilities.
“One of the important things that we are going to do this year is to train the volunteer fire brigades in all the different communities across our country, the NDC, so that we can have faster response, quick response time and then give them the capability to work in these communities,” Dr. Ali said.
Simply put, the President said the aim is to establish mobile firefighting units.
Further, as part of efforts to enhance the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), the government plans to implement a more thorough system of accountability.
“We are now going to implement a system of accountability because we are not satisfied that we are getting the full value for the investments we are making in the Guyana Fire Service.
“We are going to continue to build the capability and capacity of the Guyana Fire Service this year, not only with new fire tenders and more technologically advanced pieces of equipment, but education to the population, education in the schools [and] education to the private sector,” he added.
The Guyana Fire Service recently noted the upsurge in fires over the past week, five of which occurred last Saturday alone.
According to a press release, around 02:00hrs on Saturday, Water Tender #85, #105, and Ambulance #15, along with their crews from the Central, Campbellville, and Alberttown Fire Stations responded to a building on fire at ‘C’ Field Sophia Reserve, in Georgetown.
The structure was a single-flat, wooden building under construction, owned and occupied by 21-year-old Isaiah Thomas. Unfortunately, the building and its contents were destroyed, leaving Thomas homeless. The suspected cause of the fire was a malicious setting by person(s) unknown.
Hours later at 09:20hrs, Water Tender #116 and crew from the Leonora Fire Station responded to reports of a car on fire at Concrete Street, Leonora, West Coast Demerara. The vehicle was a black Nissan, owned by Lloyd Persaud and was being driven by Brandon Persaud.
According to reports, the fire started after a ruptured fuel line came into contact with hot engine components, ignited, and spread to the entire bonnet. As a result of the fire, the entire engine and bonnet of the car were destroyed.
The release added that around 12:50hrs, Water Tender #85, Water Carrier #14, and Land Rover #7 and their crews from the Eccles Fire Station responded to the call of a house on fire at Lot 66 Remus Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara.
The building was a two-storey wooden and concrete structure owned by 45-year-old Howard Samuels and occupied by 36-year-old Tenefa Samuels and her two family members. The building and its contents were destroyed, leaving its occupants homeless.
The reported cause of the fire was the result of an overload of the electrical circuit, which resulted in arcing and sparking and the subsequent ignition of nearby combustible materials.
Two houses and a zinc fence in proximity to the building of origin were also affected by radiated heat. Two jets from light pump #85 and water tender #85, both working from an open-water source, were used to extinguish the fire.
At 14:20hrs, a team from the Eccles Fire Station responded to another fire at Lot 16 New Providence, East Bank Demerara. Upon arrival, firefighters observed that the two-storey wooden and concrete building with an adjoining flat was engulfed in flames.
The building was owned by 80-year-old Florence Ramsaroop and was occupied by 28-year-old Seth Persaud. As a result of the fire, the building and its contents were destroyed, leaving one person homeless. Fire-prevention officers are currently investigating the cause of the fire.
Finally, at 23:55hrs, Water Tenders #85, #105 and their respective crews from the Alberttown and Central Fire Stations responded to a fire at Lot 262 South Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara, where the two-storey wooden and concrete building owned by 42-year-old Vanessa Lewis, who occupied it along with five others was ablaze, the GFS said.
The building and its contents were destroyed, leaving six persons homeless. An electrical circuit overload, which resulted in arcing and sparking that ignited nearby combustible materials, is the presumed cause of the fire.
The fire service is imploring all citizens to be vigilant and to practise fire safety and prevention to avoid any possible fire emergencies.
“Remember to equip homes and businesses with smoke detectors, fire alarms and fire extinguishers,” the release added.
Up to press time, two additional fires were reported by the fire service.
