Fire Service marks 66th anniversary with march pass parade
Firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians Thursday morning participated in a march pass parade to celebrate 66 years of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS).
The parade, which kicked off from the Square of the Revolution, is also part of Fire Prevention Month 2023 themed: ‘For the Future of Our Nation, Practice Fire Safety and Prevention.’
Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, and Chief Fire Officer (acting) Gregory Wickham received the eyes right salute in front of the ministry’s head office on Brickdam before the proceedings concluded at the Central Fire Station, Stabroek Market.
Speaking with the media shortly after the parade, Minister Benn emphasised that the 66th anniversary allows for a platform to reset and rethink for continuous improvement in Guyana’s ever-changing environment.
“We have been working hard to retool the GFS in terms of its assets, we also have had and are still ongoing a strong programme of building new fire stations and expanding the service….as we move forward, we have to assess every event and the environment in which we operate to continuously make sure that we raise the level and standard of professional engagement of service and the prevention of fires,” he stated.
With an increase in maliciously set fires, the minister emphasised the need for greater engagement and understanding of fire prevention in Guyana.
Meanwhile, the fire chief said even though this line of work is not easy, members of the fire service are always ready to respond effectively and efficiently, which was demonstrated during the march pass parade.
“Seeing the firefighters all decked out it means a lot. It speaks volumes, it speaks of our readiness to perform emergencies. It speaks of our strength, our inner strength that we’ll have to call upon many times to get our job done. The job of a firefighter and I must include our Emergency Medical Technicians,” he expressed. Modern firefighting apparatus and EMT ambulances were also featured on the march pass parade.