$614.5M Fire Service HQ hit by defects just 18 months after opening

Just over a year after the new Guyana Fire Service (GFS) Headquarters on Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown, was commissioned, the Government is undertaking several repairs to address defects identified in the building. On January 8, 2025, the new GFS Headquarters on Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown, was commissioned. The building was constructed at a cost of $614.5 million by Mohamed’s Enterprise – a company now sanctioned by the United States (US) Government. The company’s principals, US sanctioned and indicted, Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, are facing extradition to the US to face charges of wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering over alleged gold smuggling and tax evasion. In a video posted to the Fire Service’s Facebook page on Thursday, Fire Chief Gregory Wickham disclosed that since occupying the building, staff have encountered several issues. “The specific issue I wish to make it abundantly clear [is] that from the moment we began occupying this structure, our headquarters, we have encountered several deficiencies and several issues that, over time, we had to be fixing in order to ensure that our staff have a good working environment,” Wickham said. According to him, the issues included a leaking roof, cracks in the walls and glass on the building, as amongst a vast majority of other issues.

“Such issues are for example, leaking roof, cracking of the walls, cracking of the glass on the surface of the building, poor issues and several moments we had to be looking at the fixtures in our lavatory washroom area, the plumbing work, ever so often we had to be effecting repairs over the years. At this point I wish to make it very clear that this building was constructed by Mohammed Enterprise,” Wickham said. In light of these issues, Wickham noted that the GFS, along with the Home Affairs Minister, decided to retender for the necessary works. The contract was awarded to Modern Engineering Supplies and Services at a cost of $7.2 million.
“These matters have been addressed in a holistic manner to the fact that after these defects were absorbed over a period of time, the Guyana Fire Service Administration and the Ministry of Home Affairs retendered for these works to be done. That contract was won by a contractor and as of the 6th of August 2026, that contractor has begun work, not fixing but changing those facilities that we had in the washroom areas. Like I said, that is a work in progress,” Wickham said. He also reiterated that the GFS has made significant strides in ensuring that its staff are equipped, ready and fit to respond to emergencies. He noted that firefighters are now being equipped with personal protective equipment, including breathing apparatus sets that allow them to work in environments that would not normally support life or breathing. He said the Fire Service takes pride in the health and welfare of its staff and remains committed to ensuring that firefighters operate in a good working environment. Wickham urged members of the public to have confidence that issues raised by firefighters are being attended to and acted upon by the relevant authorities.