There is need for fire protection in rural areas

Dear Editor,
The need for fire protection in rural areas like Kwakwani has increased as new areas are developed and populated.
In Kwakwani, there is no rural fire department established, which leaves residential tract development and the occasional large industrial
complex vulnerable to fire destruction. There has been a shift of the population from the riverine areas and Berbice metropolitan centres to the rural areas of Kwakwani
Instead of just scattered farm and ranch properties, the shift in population has created the need for a fire department in the community. Previously, it existed without fire protection; we must now consider establishing fire departments for both personal property protection and insurance premium savings.
I am aware that the task of establishing a fire
department is not a simple one, and involves a great deal of community commitment and planning. We live in an age of accountability and liability. But it is of utmost importance that a fire department be properly organised and operated, so that it would provide the maximum protection of personnel, and the lives and properties of the public that it serves.
The hazards of firefighting are the same for both career and volunteer personnel, and the legal system makes no distinction when determining liability. However, having a fire department established and operated under the proper authority with sound operation and training
procedures can provide a valuable community service.
There is a fire tender in the Kwakwani area, but the Kwakwani Fire Tender has been stationary for the past 18 months. On Sunday October 03, 2021, there was clear evidence why we need a fire department in sub region #2 when a one-storey house in the Kwakwani Plant Site was gutted by fire.
The community was left helpless without a fire tender. A bucket brigade was formed by neighbours, and it was unable to extinguish the fire, which quickly spread and consumed the entire building.
It was shocking to all that the Government is paying volunteer fire fighters in the community (Kwakwani) to volunteer during a fire emergency, but none of those volunteers was available to assist in extinguishing the fire.
This definition recognises a collection of activities for fire prevention and for fire control, and of system elements (public and private) as being included in the idea of fire protection. Fire protection has long been thought of as a service that is provided by a fire department in the form of fire fighters and fire engines speeding to the scene of a fire, a rescue, an automobile accident, a drowning child trapped in the river.
As far as it goes, this is an accurate view, but there is much more to fire protection than putting out fires and rescuing people. Although not generally recognised as such, perhaps a more important part
of fire protection is a system in which people and equipment work together to prevent fires. For example, if there were no fire prevention-oriented building codes, and if people were not reasonably aware of fire danger, fire losses would be immeasurably greater, and fire suppression forces would be overwhelmed.
In a typical community, each of the following organisations is a part of the protection system:
Fire prevention is more important than many realise; many people think about the safety and security of their families, but they often overlook the dangers posed by fires.
I recommend that residents arm their homes with the appropriate safety measures against fires by installing smoke alarms on every level of their homes, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas, ensuring tests are done on smoke alarms every month.
Talk with all family members about a fire escape plan, and practise the plan twice a year.
If a fire occurs in your home, GET OUT, STAY OUT and CALL FOR HELP.

Sincerely,
David Adams