22 percent decrease in fires in 2021 -Minister Benn

While there were a number of malicious fires set in 2021, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has
recorded a significant reduction in fires, Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, has said.
Benn noted that he was pleased with the efforts by the fire service, which he credits to ‘re-
energised’ leadership. “I want to recognise, in spite of all the distress and trauma we have had
with some loss of life, we have had a 22 or so per cent reduction in total fires over the past
year,” Benn said. The minister delivered the feature address at the opening of the GFS Senior
Officers’ Conference on Thursday.
Minister Benn said he recognises that more can be done to prevent fires from destroying property
and taking lives. “We have to develop and to mount a specific campaign to do the fire inspection
of buildings, commercial buildings particularly so that they come up to some standards and that
we encourage where we can, putting in the wet and dry riser systems if there is an absence of a
fire hydrant in a rural area to mitigate against fire,” Benn said.
The home affairs minister called on the fire service to do more to prevent fires in homes by
pushing for the installation of fire detectors and alarms. “We lately had the discovery of the
fireballs, but I want us to buy 3000 fireballs over the year and share them out to people in homes
and in businesses so that there is some protection. So, fireballs and smoke detectors, we must
give them out free,” he urged.
He disclosed that fireballs are a revolutionary self-activating device designed to extinguish fires
providing a much-needed additional line of defence for fighting fires. The Minister stressed that
government is intensifying the installation of fire hydrants across the country. Budget 2022 has
allotted $100M for the installation of fire hydrants to ensure there is adequate water supply in the
event of a fire.
He revealed that since taking office, government has heavily invested in building the capacity of
the GFS. Benn added that some of the investments include the acquisition of fire tenders and
other firefighting equipment, along with training and establishment of fire stations in hinterland
regions.