Fire service answered 576 calls for 1999
THE Guyana Fire Service has responded to 567 fire calls so far for the year. Forty-two buildings were destroyed by fire, while nine were extensively damaged. Seven persons, including three children, perished in the flames, while 204 were left homeless. Minister of Home Affairs Ronald Gajraj made this announcement in his speech in observance of Fire Prevention Week from October 3-9, and urged the public to make full use of all fire safety advice and fire prevention recommendations. He reported that less than 85 per cent of the fires were accidental, the result of ignorance and carelessness on the part of householders. During the week, the Fire Service intensified its activities with seminars, lectures, visits to various institutions, particularly schools, and with simulated evacuation drills. The Minister observed that much time, effort, and resources were expended during these activities, "with the hope that the public would become more aware of simple things that could be done to prevent fires, save lives and properties, and help our economy to prosper. "No amount of insurance coverage can compensate for loss of lives", the Minister remarked. Fire Chief Tulsi John has identified children left unattended or without proper supervision as being one of the main reasons for the fires. "We have recorded numerous incidents of these fires taking place in homes where children who have been left unattended play with matches or lighters". He advised parents and guardians to keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children. John noted that electricity should be used safely. He recommends that if an electrical appliance smokes or has an unusual burning smell, it should be unplugged immediately and serviced before it is used again. The Fire Chief further advises householders not to tamper with fuse boxes or use improper size fuses. Kitchen fires, he said, occur often as well. "Every year people die in kitchen fires and many are badly injured. Most of these fires can be prevented. Never leave food cooking on your stove or in your oven when you leave home", John warned. He further advised that cooking appliances be kept clean at all times, as residual grease catches fire easily. Persons should not store items above stoves, since it is easy for clothing to catch fire "when you lean over stove burners to reach shelves". Smoking in bed also starts fires , the Fire Chief said. "Smoking in bed should be avoided since the smoker could easily fall asleep thus setting fire to the bed. This practice could be fatal. Ash trays should be used by all smokers, and should be filled with water before its contents are emptied in a proper disposal". Mr. John also appealed to residents not to destroy fire hydrants, as in cases of fires, a faulty hydrant forces fire fighters to get water from trenches and canals. He said some road builders cover up the water outlet of hydrants, some residents dump garbage around them, and some drivers knock them over. The Fire Chief bluntly refuted frequent allegations that many times firemen arrive at the scene of a fire with empty tenders. "At no time in my career did a fire tender arrive at a scene of fire without water in its tanks. It is routine for us, having returned from a fire, to refill tanks and have them with water ready to go to another fire". The Fire Service is equipped with water carriers of 400 and 2,000 gallons capacity. "We need all the water, that's why fire hydrants are located in certain areas to combat fire fighting". The Georgetown Sewerage and Water Commissioners (GS&WC) is responsible for the maintenance of the hydrants. "We are hoping that these hydrants would be protected by all citizens, and persons found tampering with them should be reported immediately", John stated. The theme for this year's observances is 'Greater Fire Safety Awareness Towards the New Millennium'. (Stacey Davidson)
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