AS Guyana’s oil industry continues to grow, the government and safety agencies are placing increasing importance on ensuring that all aspects of risk management, including fire safety, are up to international standards.

During a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Fire Chief Gregory Wickham disclosed that firefighting capabilities are being significantly enhanced to meet the growing demand of the oil and gas industry.

Wickham highlighted the ongoing efforts to equip local firefighters with specialised training and the latest equipment to ensure quick and effective responses to potential emergencies in the sector.

“We have persons who are trained. We have a vessel, or firefighting vessel, and those firefighters, they’re trained to respond in case of any emergency. Added to that, firefighters have been going through different levels of courses that deal with oil and gas,” Wickham said.

He emphasised that the training programmes for fire personnel have been evolving in response to the unique environment of oil and gas operations.

According to Wickham, the Fire Service has already made substantial strides in enhancing its capacity, but there is more to come.

“Next year, there’s a whole lot more that will be going into having more and more of our ranks prepared by training or by courses for oil and gas response in case there’s an emergency or a fire in the sector,” he revealed.

Wickham noted that the Fire Service is continuously adapting to the expanding oil and gas sector, particularly as new wells are discovered and development continues.

“As we know, every now and again you find there is a new well. So, it therefore means that we have to develop, and there will be more and more training, as we have the pieces of equipment coming in to lend support for firefighting in the oil and gas industry,” he added.

The Fire Service is also focusing on strengthening its capacity to handle large-scale emergencies with the acquisition of new firefighting vessels and other specialised equipment such as the Bronto- Skylift. These additions, combined with enhanced training, will ensure that first responders are ready to handle the complex and high-risk nature of incidents across the country.

Wickham stated that with significant progress already made, the Fire Service is committed to further expanding its training programmes and resources to meet the future needs of the oil and gas sector, with a focus on safety and preparedness.

“We have done a lot, but there’s a whole lot more that we intend to do next year,” he said, signaling a continued push towards building the country’s capacity to effectively respond to oil-and-gas-related emergencies.