“Bad” safety arrangements at facility – preliminary findings

The preliminary report into the recent fire at the State-run Drop-in Centre has revealed that proper fire

safety regulations were not adhered to, according to Minister of State Joseph Harmon.
The preliminary report into the July 8 fire, which claimed the lives of six-year-old Antonio George and his two-year-old brother Joshua George, was handed over to Government last Friday by Retired Colonel Windee Algernon who was appointed by President David Granger to conduct the inquiry into the tragic incident.
Harmon told reporters at the post Cabinet briefing on Wednesday that preliminary findings highlighted some systematic problems that needed to be addressed.
“The preliminary report pointed to some issues of bad policy arrangements for fire, it pointed to the fact that there was not enough collaboration between entities that had to do with the management of the Drop-in Centre, it pointed to the fact that there were not enough drills for emergencies and/or fire,” the Minister of State outlined.
Harmon noted that these issues are not limited only to the Centre but all Government buildings. He stated that efforts will have to be undertaken to ensure that the relevant fire code and building standards are adhered to.
These findings comes less than a week after President Granger had warned that anyone found culpable of negligence will be held accountable for the death of the two young boys.
“If any persons are culpable of gross negligence or dereliction of duties, yes we will make a judgment as to whether they are fit to hold those positions and if you equate that with rolling of heads, then yes,” the President posited.
Nevertheless, he outlined that the aim of the inquiry is to prevent a reoccurrence.
“We need to find out what happened and prevent a reoccurrence. In investigating what occurred, if we find that there was gross dereliction of duties, yes persons who omitted to commit acts, which would have prevented that catastrophe will be punished and if the punishment proposed is that they be removed from their positions so be it,” Granger told reporters on the weekly televised programme, the Public Interest, which aired on Friday last.
Just after midnight on July 8, the two young brothers perished in a fire which occurred at the Drop-in Centre on Hadfield Street, Georgetown. Care takers at the facility claimed that there was an electrical spark on the top floor of the building, where the girls were housed, and a fire immediately broke out, spreading throughout the building.
According to reports, the elder brother Antonio was asleep in the dormitory at the time when the fire started and as the younger brother Joshua was being taken out of the building by care givers, he realised that his brother was not with him.
The two-year-old managed to free himself from the grip of the care giver and ran back into the burning building. The two brothers were trapped in the building and their charred remains were subsequently recovered.