-by Nakasia Logan

Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond has commended the men and women of the Guyana Fire Service for their discipline, professionalism and resilience as the service marked its 69th anniversary with a route march.

Walrond said the anniversary was an opportunity to recognise the sacrifices firefighters make daily, often putting their lives at risk.

“We are very proud of the Fire Service. The government has made tremendous investments in our assets, but our greatest investment has been in our young people and training. They continue to exhibit that professionalism, strength and resilience. Just the other night at Land of Caanan all night they fight fires so this should not be overlooked or undervalued,” she said.

She also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening the service through investments in equipment, infrastructure and training.

“These investments is not just that we can have a glorious parade, they actually help in improving our response time. We have a new station in Campbellville they were able to respond in under 2 mins because they are there. The fire at the children’s home, it avoided a catastrophic result if it had to come from further, so this is what the investment is, to reduce response time to get to the scene of the fire much faster,” the minister explained.

Walrond also highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to restore existing fire hydrants and install new ones in expanding communities.

She noted that improved access to water and modern firefighting equipment have strengthened the service’s operational capacity.