How safe are people living in the city from having their property completely destroyed by fire?

"As safe as they adhere to our fire prevention principles... [and] we are hoping that the population does not do anything foolish," said Fire Chief Carlyle Washington before the Disciplined Forces Commission last week. His comments came not much before fire gutted Muneshwers Ltd building on Water St and after the November 13 Lombard St fire for which the fire service came in for criticism because of its response.

He added that the fire service is currently undermanned and under-equipped, which leaves the population vulnerable.

There are only 12 fire stations around the country and Washington says these are not sufficiently staffed or equipped.

The Fire Service has submitted a strategic development plan to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which has responsibility for the agency.

Washington says that one of the needs of the service is more stations, particularly at those locations where there have been population increases. With the exception of a tender at the Ogle airport, there is no fire station between Georgetown and New Amsterdam. The locations needing stations include Bartica, the East Coast Demerara, West Coast Berbice and Mahaica.

Meanwhile, he also admitted that the practicality of the location of its headquarters at Stabroek has been explored - as the city has expanded since the service was set up - and a new location was considered.

The Fire Chief said that the service only has between 40-45% of the equipment it needs, though it is working with what is available.

Re-deploying fireboats are part of the strategic development plan for the fire service, which had once used vessels for marine fires. But, Washington said the last of the boats was destroyed in the late 1970s and never replaced.

He explained that the development of this feature of the service would support fire-fighting in the city, aside from assuring the boats in the harbour that don't have any protection now. He said the only marine fires which the fire service could attend to were those that occurred on boats moored alongside the wharf.

According to Washington, the fire service is undermanned by at least 45 men. With the current stations a staff of 570 would be ideal for the service. But with inadequate salaries and even cultural needs, both the recruitment and the retention of staff have proven difficult.