Firefighting training to start after COVID-19 test results -Fire Chief

Forty trainee firefighters are currently being tested for COVID-19 before starting a 12-week training at the Guyana Fire Service Training School in Leonora.

On completion of this programme, the recruits will serve the fire stations in Lethem, Mabaruma and Mahdia, which will be commissioned in 2021. Fire Chief, Mr. Marlon Gentle said they were selected by the fire services in their respective communities.

“In Georgetown, we are doing a twelve-week programme where the trainees will undergo basic training for six to eight weeks and will be educated on basic firemanship,” he said.

Experienced firefighters will conduct the training sessions. This includes instruction on the correct use of hoses and hydrants, learning rescuing skills, construction of buildings, teamwork and other basic techniques. The second leg of training will be held in the trainees’ respective communities to familiarise them with the peculiarities and risks in their own locales.

Meanwhile, the Mabaruma and Mahdia Fire Stations are near completion, with the latter only requiring a driveway for trucks to traverse.  A contract has been awarded for the works, which are expected to be completed in the new year.

The Fire Chief also reiterated the call for the public to desist from setting fires in open spaces for garbage disposal and land clearing purposes. He noted that the Fire Service has seen an increase in this practice, which poses a threat to safety.