Stabroek News
August 17, 2001

Home Affairs Minister, Ronald Gajraj has appealed to the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) to assess its needs and change with the times to meet the challenges of the modern era.

He pledged government's support for the strengthening of the capacity of the GFS and noted that $160 million has been identified for the acquisition of two fire tenders and the establishment of a fire station on the Essequibo Coast.

Addressing fire officers yesterday at their annual officers' conference at the GFS headquarters, Gajraj stated that the GFS must rise to the demands of a changing society.

"The society today expects the service to respond with minimum delay to a fire call, and control and subdue raging infernos, and from examination of debris determine the cause of the fire," the minister said.

He noted that such efficiency was required by the courts to try criminal and civil cases. It was also required by insurance companies in the settlement of claims, by the police to support charges of arson and by the GFS itself to understand the genesis of the fire, he said.

Gajraj suggested that the recruitment strategy of the GFS should take into consideration the need to train persons who had the academic orientation and basic intelligence in forensic science and to become competent investigators.

The minister said he was aware that the laws and regulations as they were currently configured did not aid the purpose for which they were originally intended.

"The laws have not kept pace with technology in cinemas, flammable products which are now in the market, and inflation which renders present fines as no deterrent against commissions of breaches of fire prevention laws and regulations," he said.

He urged that these issues be addressed during the conference and that early submissions be forwarded to him for consideration.

Gajraj recommended that a careful review be done of the services required of the GFS and the capacity of the components which make up the organisation to provide the services. The changes necessary to provide the required capacity should then be identified.

The minister said a state institution should not be restructured to simply provide promotional opportunities for its members, but to make it capable of efficiently carrying out the tasks necessary to fulfil its mandate.

Gajraj said government had continued to support activities, which enhanced the capacity of the GFS to prevent and combat fires in Guyana's populated areas.

He noted that a training school was to be established at Leonora and overseas training would be facilitated for technical and senior ranks.

Training would also be available through the Chief Fire Officers Association of the Caribbean and facilitated via the recent memorandum of understanding with Trinidad and Tobago.

The minister said government had initiated steps towards the computerisation of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The GFS was described as an integral part of the ministry and will benefit from the computerisation programme to allow for greater efficiency.

The possibility was being explored of networking the various fire stations and constituent departments. This initiative would lead to the reduction of the number of clerical workers at the GFS who could find places among the ranks of firemen and women, Gajraj stated.

On the issue of remuneration, the minister said this has been constrained by Guyana's large external debt, which 54 cents of every dollar earned in revenue is currently servicing.

The minister said, however, he was advised by Cabinet that this figure should drop to 15 cents on every dollar by the end of the year and government would be in a better position to consider increases in wages and salaries.

The theme chosen for the two-day conference was 'Moving fire safety into the new era'.

Gajraj urged that the conference should not be an exercise in futile speculation or an adventure into the realms of unattainable goals. He said a successful outcome of the conference would require the design and documentation of a programme to attain clear goals, taking into consideration the human and financial resources available.