The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) will commission fire stations in Lethem, Mabaruma and Mahdia in 2021, as its development plans continue to unfold.
Fire Chief, Mr. Marlon Gentle made this disclosure today during an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters.
Forty-seven individuals from the respective communities have been identified to be trained and serve as Fire Service members.
Training is expected to start within the next two weeks, and will be facilitated at the Guyana Fire Service Training School in Leonora.
“We will take them through the basics first, and then we take them back into their communities to complete training because we have to train people to operate within the communities they live in because each community will have its own peculiarities and risks,” the Fire Chief explained.
Fire Chief Gentle said the trainees will be added to the staff complement of experienced firefighters to guide them, and to ensure a smooth transition to effective firefighters in their communities.
Training will last for 16 weeks and will be split evenly between the Leonora facility and the community-based training.
The Fire Chief said the Mabaruma and Mahdia stations are near completion, with the latter only requiring a driveway for trucks to traverse.
