$24M approved in National Assembly to enhance Guyana Fire Service response

The sum of $24 million was on Tuesday approved by the Parliamentary Committee of Supply to enhance the response capacity of the Guyana Fire Service.

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn said that the funds are for the procurement of several assets, such as an aerodrome firefighting unit and other machinery to promote greater efficiency in firefighting efforts.

Additionally, these funds will prove instrumental against the backdrop of the rising increasing occurrence of fires countrywide due to the rising temperatures.

“There has been a large requirement for fire responses, as we have El Niño upon us. There have also been a number of malicious setting of fires,” minister Benn pointed out.

He added that there have been a large number of grass fires in heavily forested areas as a result of this weather.

El Niño, commonly referred to as the ‘dry season’, is expected to into January 2024.

The GFS continues to urge persons to exercise caution in light of these circumstances, and to remain vigilant.

According to the home affairs minister, there have been over 807 grass and rubbish fires countrywide, with 6,140 ambulance calls for the year, and 510 building fires.