–  as Guyana crafts extensive ten-point plan, boosting public awareness, strengthening local fire service’s capabilities

With a key focus on strengthening the legal framework and enhancing public awareness, President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Wednesday outlined a strategic ten-point plan to refine fire prevention and rescue response across Guyana.
The Head of State, while commissioning the Guyana Fire Service’s (GFS) largest fleet of rapid intervention vehicles at the tune of $910.8 million and its new $635.5 million headquarters at Homestretch Avenue, stated that the aim is to have a robust response system that not only boasts state of the art equipment and modern technologies but also capable personnel.

1.      LEGAL FRAMEWORK
The first pillar will see intensified efforts being made to strengthen fire codes and standards for buildings, ensuring that structures are designed and maintained to reduce the risk of fires.
Several of the country’s legislation will be reviewed to mandate stricter inspections, certification process and robust enforcement to of safety regulations
“These measures are all geared towards improving fire prevention, fostering a culture of safety and minimizing the likelihood of devastating fire incidents across the country,” the Head of State explained.

2.      ENHANCING GFS’ INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
To improve coordination within all the key agencies internally the GFS will adopt and streamline protocols to ensure that additional units can be swiftly mobilised to respond to large scale fires or emergencies requiring greater resources externally.
Collaboration will be done with agencies such as The Guyana Police Force, Guyana Power and Light, the Guyana Water Incorporated to provide comprehensive support during five incidents.
“These partnerships will be built on technology.”

3.      RISK ASSESSMENT AND PREVENTION
This will see the fire service prioritizing resources and tailoring strategies to mitigate hazards effectively.
“We have to do a high-risk zoning in terms of fire, looking at our forest, looking at urban setting, looking at the type of industries and all of these things,” the President said.
Ultimately, this will see the fire service tailoring tactics to mitigate hazards effectively, especially in regions most vulnerable to fire outbreaks, high risk areas such as densely populated neighborhoods, industrial zones, commercial districts and locations within limited access to water or firefighting infrastructure.
To address these vulnerabilities, a comprehensive risk assessment will be conducted to create a map which will indicate such areas and evaluate their specific challenges and how best to respond in emergencies.

4.      PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE: PUBLIC AWARENESS
The President stressed that fire safety education must become a cornerstone of the efforts being made and with a focus on building stronger community relations, GFS will collaborate with it stakeholders to maintain robust public awareness campaigns.
“This underscores the critical importance of public education on fire prevention and safety, and we’re going to have a consultation with all the media houses, both established press and social media, to see how we can collaborate and how we can support them in this public education process that is critical in the fire prevention,” the President explained.

5.      EMERGENCY RESPONSE
The President noted that improving will be among the key pillars of the country’s national firefighting and fire prevention plan.
Recognizing that ‘time is of the essence in responding to fires and other emergencies’ enhancing the GFS’ response can make a difference a minor incident or a major disaster
“These efforts will ensure responses [are] more efficient, ultimately saving lives and we might be damaged,” he explained.

6.      INFRASTRUCTURE AND EQUIPMENT
To enhance the GFS’ effectiveness and resilience, the government will equip ranks with modern firefighting equipment, such as Advanced Fire Fighting Vehicles, specialized tools and state of the art personal protective gear aimed at ensuring the safety and efficiency of firefighters.
“By investing in these resources, we aim to empower the fire service with the tools and technology necessary to address fire incidents swiftly, safely and effectively, aligning with the demands of the modern, evolving environment.”

7.      DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
This will see the GFS having an extended role in disaster preparedness, particularly in addressing the growing threat of forest fires.
“Extended dry weather conditions have led to outbreaks of forest fires in hinterland communities posing significant risks to vast acreage and nearby human settlements, these fires can escalate rapidly, and we have seen this last year.”
The GFS’ capability will be strengthened with specialized training for local firefighters, equipping them with the skills and techniques needed to tackle these challenging situations by enhancing the preparedness, to safeguard both the environment and communities, reducing the devastating impact.

8.      MONITORING AND EVALUATION
“As part of our national firefighting and fire prevention plans, we’ll prioritize data collection, audits and policy reviews to build a more adaptive and effective fire safety framework, a comprehensive database of fire incidents, response times and outcomes we will maintain to analyze trends and identify areas for improvement.”
This feature the President explained will be digitized, allowing for periodic of the fire safety policy that will incorporate lessons learnt from past incidents and leverage advancements in technology to refine strategies.

9.       HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Recognising that the human resource development is crucial to the long-term success of the fire service, the President noted that the government remains committed to strengthening this foundation by recruiting more firefighters and providing them with the comprehensive training, both locally and internationally.
This continued investment will ensure firefighters are equipped with the knowledge and skills required to handle diverse and complex challenges of firefighting and disaster response.
And in further supporting their welfare and wellbeing, firefighters will see improved financial housing and other benefits to ensure their quality cared for creating a positive and supportive environment.

10.  STRATEGIC FOCUS: “Adaptable And Forward Thinking”
The final pillar acknowledges the country’s growing economy and expanding industrial base. This will place emphasis on the need for the fire service to adopt a stronger strategic focus to respond to emerging challenges.
The President pointed out as industries continued to grow and new sectors develop, the complexity and scale of risks will also evolve, requiring the GFS to be “adaptable and forward thinking”.
“The impacts of climate change, such as increased incidents of extreme weather conditions and forest fires will further complicate firefighting effort, to meet these challenges head on, the fire service must continuously develop its capabilities and ensure that its strategies align with the changing needs of a dynamic and developing nation.”