HGP Nightly News – President Irfaan Ali says the Guyana Fire Service is in need of major reorganisation, even as he acknowledged that while response times have improved, the government remains dissatisfied with the current level of efficiency.
Speaking at a press conference, Ali said the Fire Service is one of the major areas requiring urgent modernisation as communities expand, buildings get taller, and new industrial risks emerge.
“The Guyana Fire Service is a major area that needs massive reorganization,” the President said.
He disclosed that the government has already started a programme to repair and install fire hydrants across the country. According to Ali, more than 25,000 hydrants are needed, with a few thousand already installed.
He said the government intends to accelerate the installation programme over the next 18 months.
Ali also announced plans for a smart dispatch system, GIS-enabled command rooms, integrated CCTV monitoring, digital incident tracking, real-time GPS fleet management, and drone coordination.
He said these tools are intended to improve response capacity and help authorities better manage fire emergencies.
“I know that we have a lot of questions on the current efficiency and response time, but it’s improved, I must say, looking at the numbers, tremendously,” Ali said.
However, the President made it clear that the government is not satisfied with where the Fire Service currently stands.
“But we are not satisfied at all with where we are,” he added.
Ali said the government is investing in new types of equipment to match changing conditions. These include rapid intervention vehicles, smaller assets that can enter deeper and narrower communities, higher-capacity pumps, ladder trucks, and hydraulic platforms.
He said the country can no longer rely only on basic ladders as buildings continue to rise.
“We are not in a day where it is a two-storey house, you put up a ladder and you climb up anymore. You have to have these hydraulic platforms,” he said.
The President also pointed to new fire risks linked to the oil and gas sector, industrial expansion, petrochemicals, LNG, and LPG.
He said Guyana will need foam tenders, industrial rescue trucks, chemical containment units, specialised fire suppression systems, and additional training to prepare for these threats.
Ali added that technology will also help authorities detect leaks and other dangers before they become major incidents, allowing the Fire Service to respond more quickly even with limited human resources.
