“We have to be more skilled, better at fighting fires” – Benn tells GFS

… “be more fire-conscious” – Fire Chief to businesses

With the oil and gas sector introducing new industries in Guyana, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has called on members of the Guyana Fire Service to up their skills and knowledge so as to serve these new areas that are emerging.
Speaking at a fire prevention and awareness outreach exercise hosted by the Fire Advisory Board on Wednesday, Minister Benn underscored the important role that the Fire Service plays. But in the same breath, he posited that the challenges going forward will extremely significant and different.

“The very fact that we have very massive rigs offshore, pumping oil and gas, and the fact that we’re going to be bringing in new pipelines to a new estate at Wales to spur the economy using the off gas from the pumping of oil, means that we will be dealing with pipelines with high pressure gas and sometimes liquid in them, and we not only have to be aware of how to build these things but we gotta also be aware of how we manage the results of any bad experiences in relation to these things,” the minister noted.
To this end, Benn outlined that the Fire Service will now have to rise to the challenge and upskill themselves in order to be able to effectively and efficiently serve in this new economy.
“So, the Fire service has to be capable, aware, trained and engaged in relation to this new situation. The normal, maybe old or continuous ways in the normal fighting of fires, we gotta be better at it. We gotta be more skilled, we gotta be more confident, we gotta be more courageous,” he asserted.

Similar sentiments were expressed by Head of the Guyana Fire Service, Kalamadeen Edoo. He noted that the rapid development in Guyana’s landscape that is emerging due to the oil and gas sector, requires now more than ever for assets such properties and infrastructure to be protected.
“It is importance that these assets be protected. The first line of protection, therefore, is to have the building structures and other assets to be build or constructed in conformity with the international recognised standards and equally important, that they be fitted with the requisite fire protection device and systems as well as the adaptation of the Building Code,” Edoo said to the gathering, which included member of the business community.

“Be more fire-conscious”
Speaking directly to the business owners, the Fire Chief Kalamadeen Edoo is imploring with business owners especially those in Georgetown to ensure they implement the necessary safety mechanisms so as to prevent fires from breaking out.
“You, the business people, must construct your buildings with fire safety in mind. You must build the capacity of your staff with the knowledge of fire protection, fire prevention and fire safety as a high priority. You must afford your staff the opportunity to participate in fire safety seminars since these are vital to sustaining your businesses,” he noted.
Edoo went onto point out that fires have a widespread effect not just on property owners but the community and even the country. As such, he posited that it is important tackle fire safety and prevention efforts from all facets.
“Fire safety and fire prevention are very important. It is, therefore, necessary that a recommendation provided by the Guyana Fire Service provided to you – our partner in helping to suppress and preventing fires – be implemented… to help detect and overpower any fire in the beginning stage,” he highlighted.
These, according to the Fire Chief, includes the installation of smoke detectors, the correct fire-extinguisher and sprinkle system, among others.
“So today, I’m urging you the business community to follow the rules of fire safety and follow the advice given to you by the fire authorities so that we can have less businesses being destroy, less persons being jobless and less lives being lost. This will help to boost our economy and we continue to grow and develop instead of having to rebuild and replace,” Edoo stressed.
Meanwhile, it was reported by Minister Benn that in comparison to last year, the number of fires as well as the number of calls to the Fire Service has reduced. While he did not provide these specific figures, the Home Affairs Minister did note however that the number of fatalities by fire have remained the same with seven deaths.
The most recent was an 83-year-old woman identified as Norma Semple, who perished in an early morning fire at her Wismar, Linden, home on Monday. The woman lived alone in the one-storey wooden structure.
Wednesday’s outreach, which was held at the Guyana Police Force’s Training Centre, was aimed at boosting fire safety, fire prevention and fire suppression practices.
Minister Benn lauded the exercise, which he says will help to address the deficit the Fire Service has in dealing with infernos.
“It has been one of the egregious experiences we’ve had in relation to being able to make sure that we have the appropriate assets, that we make use of the trainings that we’ve acquired in respect to engaging in the difficult task of fighting fires, making sure that we have enough mobile and other assets for fighting fire and that we fight them appropriately. But more importantly that we pay attention towards public awareness and engagement to make sure we mitigate and prevent the occurrence of fires,” the Home Affairs Minister contended. (G8)