Fire in Guyana is too frequent

Mar 06, 2025 Letters

Dear Editor,

The fires occurring throughout the country are becoming too frequent. The recent early morning fire that school children and school staff were able to escape has brought the issue of fire prevention and fire suppression to the forefront once again. Whether it be government negligence, arson or an unexpected and an unpreventable occurrence we must relook at our approach to fire suppression. It is time to agree on a nationwide solution and ensure its implementation. We can no longer afford to hope for the best and not prepare for the worst.

No school in the country should be allowed to operate without a sprinkler system that is connected to a water pump house, which has high pressure water lines and a dedicated source of water that it can pull from. The schools must have fire alarms that trigger a response at the closest fire station and each school must have working and reliable fire hydrants throughout the compound at easily accessible locations. If a fire station is not in close proximity, one should be built and fully equipped to handle a fire at the designated school if it occurs.

It is only a matter of time until there is another fire that results in tragedy. We must take immediate action to put in place what is necessary to ensure an effective fire suppression occurs quickly when a fire begins. Properly maintained fire extinguishers in every area of each school may seem expensive, but today we can afford it and more importantly we cannot afford not to have them. The lives of our children must be given priority over other investments. It is time to make our schools safe again. We were lucky this time that no lives were reported lost. Hopefully the injured fireman will recover soon.

Stay safe and be careful!

With utmost concern,
Mr. Jamil Changlee

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