HGP Nightly News – A sharp decline in fire calls across Guyana in 2025 may appear to be good news, but Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond is warning that the country cannot afford to let its guard down. Speaking at the opening of the Guyana Fire Service Annual Senior Officers’ Conference on Wednesday, Walrond made it clear that Guyana must begin placing greater emphasis on fire prevention rather than depending only on how quickly firefighters can respond when disaster strikes.
Her remarks came as the Guyana Fire Service reported a 34 percent reduction in fire calls for 2025, a figure that signals progress but, according to the minister, should not distract from the deeper challenge of stopping fires before they start.
Addressing officers at the Guyana Police Force Officers’ Mess Annex, Walrond said the country’s rapid development has brought with it a dangerous rise in fire exposure. With more construction, increasing industrial activity, denser populations, expanded infrastructure, electrical systems, fuel storage, and more complex facilities spreading across every region, she said the stakes are rising.
“Guyana is developing at a pace. Guyana has never seen more construction, more industrial activities, denser populations, expanded infrastructure, electrical systems, fuel storage, and complex facilities across every region,” Walrond said.
She warned that as the country grows, so too does the risk of fires, placing even greater pressure on the Guyana Fire Service to protect lives and property. “A developing nation is, by its nature, a nation of increased fire exposure,” she said. “We cannot speak honestly about Guyana’s growth without speaking honestly about what it demands of this institution.”
Walrond said response time will always matter, but argued that the real mark of an effective fire service is not only how fast it reacts, but how successfully it reduces the need for emergency intervention in the first place.
“For too long, the measure of the fire service is how fast it could respond after fire started. Response time matters. It will always matter, but the most effective fire service is one that reduces how often that response is needed,” she said.
The minister stressed that true fire prevention means finding risks before they become catastrophes, whether through faulty electrical systems or the improper storage of hazardous materials.
“Every fire that does not start is a life saved, a home preserved,” Walrond said.
She also pointed to several major initiatives aimed at strengthening fire prevention in Guyana, including the revision of the Fire Prevention Act, the expansion of fire prevention offices, and the development of a national security risk reduction plan with partners.
“These efforts are central to our mission and must be properly resourced,” she stressed.
Walrond also addressed the growing role of technology in the Guyana Fire Service, but cautioned that even the most advanced tools cannot replace public awareness and community education.
“Technology will change how we operate, but it won’t save a family that doesn’t know the risk they’re living with. That gap must be closed through community engagement,” she said.
As part of that effort, she highlighted the distribution of fire suppression equipment, collaboration with Neighbourhood Democratic Councils, and training for community members in fire safety.
She said education at the community level is essential if the country is serious about reducing emergencies.
“When a market vendor understands the risks their storage practices create, and when children in our schools learn from a young age that fire prevention belongs to all of us, then we will see fewer emergencies,” Walrond said.
Even as she pushed prevention, the minister also noted that the Guyana Fire Service has strengthened its emergency response capacity. In 2025, the agency received 40 rapid intervention vehicles, three ambulances, and three fire trucks.
“This is a direct response to closing the gap in our response capabilities,” Walrond said.
