Fire Chief warns against prank calls

…as GFS receives 4000 emergency calls so far this year

Chief Fire Officer Gregory Wickham has raised concerns about the increasing number of prank calls to the emergency line, 912.
“Prank calls are something that the Guyana Fire Service would have noticed a large increase in recent times.” he said. “Consider the waste of resources that it takes to go to a call when there is eventually no need. It may be, at the same time, your home or your neighbour’s home that might need that kind of a response.”
The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has responded so far this year to more than 4000 emergency calls, including fire and medical cases, according to Wickham during a recent interview highlighting the service’s modernisation, expanded operations, and the challenges faced by firefighters on the ground.

“Our ambulances would have already responded to over 4000 calls for this year,” he disclosed, noting that the service’s medical teams have already delivered five new-borns in 2025. “The fire service response is one that is… we take it as an emergency,” he added.
Wickham also explained that all GFS fire tenders arrive at scenes with water on board, typically 450 gallons, but depending on the fire’s size and location, firefighters may need to supplement their supply from mains, canals, or hydrants.
The GFS, which once operated just five fire stations nationwide, now has 22 and is in the process of building six more.
According to Wickham, these upgrades, backed by $9 billion in recent Government investment, are part of an effort to ensure faster response times and improved readiness in both urban and rural areas.
“We have to ensure our citizens… sleep and wake in their homes comfortably, knowing that they are preventing fires from happening,” Wickham said. “Our goal is to reach those in distress as quickly as possible.”