Only 33% of the country’s fire hydrants are fully functional

Feb 11, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – Following a series of fire that created unprecedented havoc last year, challenging the capabilities of the Guyana Fire Service countrywide, the Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn told members of the National Assembly that only 33 percent of fire hydrants are fully functional throughout the country.
Out of the 777 hydrants, it should be noted that only 33 percent of such are fully functional, of which most are situated in the Capital City. According to Benn in Georgetown, hydrants were inoperable for a number of years, where the city developed and the hydrants were left behind.
A total of 471 fire hydrants were found to be inoperable in Georgetown following an assessment by the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), he noted. Nevertheless, several actions were taken to fix fire hydrants in and around the city, which was done in conjunction with Brass Aluminium Cast Iron Foundry to fabricate new hydrants using compatible mouldings and 151 hydrants were repaired by Compass Industrial Services.
Benn iterated that an assessment was conducted to determine whether or not there is need for more fire hydrants in and around the City and by extension within the other Administrative Regions. As a consequence, it was observed that there is need for fire hydrants in areas such as Vreed-en-Hoop, Parika, Charity, Diamond, Dairy, Rose Hall, Corentyne, Canje, Linden, Port Kaituma, Lethem, Bartica, Anna Regina and Mabaruma.
Kaieteur News previously reported, back in December 2021, that there were repairs to 151 at a cost of $40 million. This was according to the then Fire Chief, Kalamadeen Edoo, who told Kaieteur News that the sum of $40 million was allocated for the repairs of 151 fire hydrants. The repairs, he noted, have been completed and the second phase was expected to begin in January this year.

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