-by Celestine Chacon
As Guyana braces for the effects of El Niño dry season, the Guyana Fire Service says it has stepped up preparedness measures to reduce the risk of bush and grass fires.
Fire Chief Gregory Wickham says the Guyana Fire Service has intensified public education campaigns ahead of El Niño.
This is being done, particularly in hinterland and Indigenous communities where slash-and-burn farming is common.
“We are doing community outreaches especially in those Indigenous communities where we going out reaching those persons, advising them because we know for sure that the culture for their farming that they will do slash and burning in order to plant their products and so we have been advising them how they should burn and so added to that notices are all over the place,” he said .
Guyana experienced significant bush fires during previous dry seasons, prompting renewed investment in emergency response.
The Fire Chief says those lessons have strengthened the country’s readiness.
“One thing the Government of Guyana did in response to those fires in 2023/ 2024 is purchasing what you call pickup-type small appliances which were distributed to NDCs throughout the country as first responding appliance. The Fire Service has also received pumps, breathing apparatus, fire kits and PPEs for firefighters. We are better prepared to deal with those circumstances of fires,” he explained.
The Fire Service has also expanded community outreach by training community policing groups across the country.