US donates fire-fighting gear, school and medical equipment
By Kim Lucas
Stabroek News
April 21, 2003
After years of fighting fires without proper protective gear, the Guyana Fire Service on Thursday received much-needed equipment from the United States.
A 40-foot container of fire-fighting equipment, along with medical supplies and furniture for the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and public schools, was officially handed over to Fire Chief Carlyle Washington and Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy.
Major Tyler Fitzgerald, the US Military Liaison Officer assigned to the US Embassy in Guyana, presented the gift at the head office of the Guyana Fire Service. According to the envoy, the needs of the local fire department were recognised last year, when a team of US fire-fighter trainers came to Guyana to work with the Guyana Fire Service.
"They actually got to observe the fire service fighting a fire and they noted the courage and the bravery of the fire service as they fought a fire without the kind of clothing, the protective equipment the US firefighters are accustomed to. Recognising that need, they went back to Dallas, Texas to the local fire department and made the need known and when clothing became available they set up [the package] for Guyana. Then they came to me and asked for assistance in shipping it down to Guyana," Major Fitzgerald told members of the press.
The equipment includes 50 school desks for the Ministry of Education, 44 sets of fire-fighting clothes, 39 pairs of fire-fighting boots and gloves, as well as beds, mattresses, rehabilitation devices and walkers for the Ministry of Health. The supplies will be distributed as needed among schools, clinics and fire stations throughout Guyana, by the respective ministries, Ramsammy stated.
According to the US officer, funds were made available for shipping through the US Southern Command's Humanitarian Programme. But the full impact of the gift was made clearer when Washington explained that for years, the local firefighters were working without fire suits.
"We used to have them long ago, but of late we haven't been getting them and [the US trainers] that came last year saw that we had need for them...Also fire-fighting boots, heavy-duty boots. When we go to fires, some of the firemen were being stuck with nails. We show them [the foreign trainers] all this and they sent some boots for us and also some gloves so that we can protect our hands...", an appreciative Washington said.
The US Military Liaison, however, pointed out that the donation was more about relationships between the two governments.
"What this is really all about, though, is relationships. As you build a relationship, you understand each other's needs more and more and we understand how we can help one another even more, Fitzgerald stated.
Over the years, the Guyana government has been receiving aid from the US in many areas, particularly health. Although he was unable to give an estimated cost for the equipment shipped to Guyana, Fitzgerald said the gift should be seen more in terms of the benefits to be derived.
"It gives the firefighters the means of approaching fires, to be much closer to them without being hurt themselves and...the capacity to fight fires even better, because their courage is unquestioned. They were already fighting the fires very close, much closer than the US firefighters would ever dare to go without that equipment. So I think the way we should look at it is the increased capacity and the capability as opposed to the outright cost," Fitzgerald told reporters.
Meanwhile, Minister Ramsammy said training was very important.
"But in addition to training, they [the US] have provided us with important materials. I know that this new container has beds, mattresses, walkers and some other rehabilitation devices that will help us to improve the services that we provide in our hospitals, mainly at Georgetown hospital, but other hospitals have benefited from these supplies. This container will help the Ministry of Education, in that schools and officers will receive desks [and more]. So we are very grateful for this continued partnership with the US. We are very grateful for the fact that the fire service is going to benefit from this supply. I do know that in the coming months there would be other such gifts coming with teams to do services."
