-enhances emergency water access
-by Nakasia Logan
A nationwide effort is underway to strengthen Guyana’s firefighting capabilities.
The Guyana Fire Service has started installing 200 new fire hydrants in communities across the country as part of a broader investment in emergency response.
This is according to Station Officer Rovin Thomas of the Guyana Fire Service.
“These hydrants are procured currently there is installation process ongoing, we have over thirty five hydrants being planted. We are having specific focus not only for Georgetown but for the East Bank, East Coast, West Bank, West Coast. Of recent we had 32 hydrants installed in Mahiacony/Mahaica area,” he said.
Hydrants are being placed in high-risk areas to give firefighters faster access to the water they need during emergencies thus reducing response challenges.
“So fixed installation, major installations like fuel storage, large supermarkets, government building, schools, gas stations areas that would normally house large amount of persons like malls and so forth and high rise high risk and industrial areas as well industrial areas,” he added.
Officials say the expansion, coupled with the maintenance of existing hydrants, is aimed at improving response capabilities and ensuring crews can act more quickly when lives and property are at risk.
In the 2026 National Budget, the Guyana Fire Service received a $6.3 billion allocation to strengthen emergency response and firefighting capabilities. The funding includes $1.1 billion for new and upgraded fire stations, $1.6 billion for additional firefighting equipment, and $250 million for the procurement of new fire hydrants