Guyana Fire Service gets  three new water bowsers

The Government through the Ministry of Home Affairs delivered three new water bowsers to improve the services offered by the Guyana Fire Service (GFS).

The new water bowsers are valued at $46.2 million and will be dispatched to Bartica, Eccles, and Georgetown to lend support to the firefighting fleet.

Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, said the delivery of the new bowsers is aligned with the Government’s agenda to protect the lives and properties of Guyanese.

“This is a significant improvement again that the Government of Guyana through its ministry is making in respect to being prepared for to mitigate and to prevent issues relating to fires in the city of Georgetown particularly and throughout the country,” he said.

Further, the Minister said the water bowsers will assist the main fire engines when there is a fire.

Each bowser has a storage capacity of 1800-gallon and an independent pumping system to render support for smaller issues.

“This will double the amount of carrying capacity in terms of the water bowsers we have instantaneously and so from that aspect, it is a significant improvement,” Minister Benn started.

He also mentioned that the government will be making every effort to improve firefighting capacity with the replacement of fire hydrants in the city and new housing areas.

Meanwhile, Chief Fire Officer (ag), Gregory Wickham extended appreciation to the Minister for the new water bowsers. He said the vehicles will significantly improve the service’s fighting capabilities.

“I want to emphasise how please we are to Minister and the Permanent Secretary who would’ve been working very hard to ensure that we have the capacity to ensure we have the equipment and tools that are necessary for us to do fire fighting for which we have by law the right to do. To protect, to offer fire protection, fire suspension and fire prevention to everyone in Guyana. So, we are particularly glad for these new tenders or water bowsers that are added to the fleet and certainly, they will assist us in having water readily available when we have to do firefighting,” the Chief Fire Officer (ag) said.