Georgetown : The Caribbean Association of Firefighters (CAFF) in collaboration with the Guyana Fire Service and the Ministry of Home Affairs today held a Caribbean Firefighters’ forum that saw the inputs of representatives from Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Dominica.
The aim of the forum is to address the right training regimes to ensure that firefighting ranks function effectively.
Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee in delivering brief remarks at the event at Regency Hotel said, while there are some difficulties surrounding the association, such as financing for its development, accessing of modern firefighting equipment and medical care, CAFF has over the years, been instrumental in ensuring that training is conducted at the highest level.
“The CAFF has been engaged not only in training for ranks, but training of citizens in fire prevention also..and I have no doubt that the association will find the requisite ways and means of formulating programmes to facilitate training of ranks across the region,” he said.
To ensure the effectiveness of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), in responding to natural disasters, such as fires; Government has been providing resources in keeping with the GFS Strategic Plan, to ensure that its mandate is carried out.
“This has seen the construction of a modern training school at Leonora, West Bank Demerara, which will be used to effectively train ranks, locally and regionally in fire prevention,” Minister Rohee said.
The GFS has also seen an increase in its staff complement from 427 to 511 ranks, while Government has provided firefighting equipment for five communities under the Guyana Fire Service’s Hinterland Strategy. Over the last six years, the construction of Fire Stations has increased from eight to 14 countrywide; while more than 29 vehicles were added to the fleet.
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