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Fire Service to receive tailored training to upgrade services
– Auxiliary firefighting under consideration
The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) is pursuing more local and overseas training for its ranks in an effort to boost its capacity and general administration. This was disclosed at the Central Fire Station at Stabroek, Tuesday last.
The specialist training programme instructor of London, Kevin Adcock, said that over the next two weeks the most up to date training methods of fire fighting that is specifically tailored for Guyana will be delivered to the firefighters.
Adding that he visited the debris of the recent fire that destroyed the building at Barrack and High Streets, Kingston, Adcock said in his professional opinion it was exemplary, “I don’t think that my own service, one of the most modern, up to date, highly trained and well funded services in the world would have done much better.”
He said that in Guyana firemen are face with every professional fire fighter’s worse nightmares, since there are timber dried buildings, high winds, and a lack of reliable water supply.
Adding that in the UK a fully serviceable hydrant with water can be found every 200 meters; Adcock said that firefighting in Guyana is difficult, however the GFS is very disciplined and organised service, and his job would be to fine tune the function of the GFS.
Fire Chief Marlon Gentle said that for the last ten years the GFS has being seeking ways to upgrade its services in keeping with its plans to upgrading its services.
He said that the present training programme is tailor made to suit the Guyana context, and mental and physical training is essential for a modern fire service.
Gentle said that the last occasion ranks were properly trained was in 1994 when an officer from the East Sussex Fire Service was in Guyana.
He added that over a decade ago the fire service received approximately 800 calls per year. Today it is a service that now receives 2,000 calls per year.
Gentle said that the fire service has developed and expanded and there have been significant developments in the country, and the only way that the GFS can meet those challenges, it has to be prepared in the human resource factor along with equipment.
He said that there is a significant cost attached to sending a fireman to London. The tuition fee for a two- week programme for one rank is £6,500.
According to Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, after being approached by the Chief Fire about the upgrading programme, he felt comfortable after the technical perspectives was explained, and the plan was taken to cabinet for approval.
Rohee noted that when the hinterland fire protection programme rolls out, there will be procurements of new equipment and it would be interesting to overlook the
manifestation of the programme and how the GFS are going to train the persons in the interior which is a different setting.
The Minister also noted that the GFS will be seeking to draft in suitably qualified persons into the fire brigade as “auxiliaries” as a part of the strategic plan to boost the capacity of the service to respond promptly at the community level. (Rabindra Rooplall)
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