Korps Brandweer Suriname (KBS, Suriname’s fire service) currently needs seventeen fire engines to ensure fire safety nationwide. Due to technical defects in several vehicles, six fire stations are currently without a fire engine. Fire chief Immerik Edam announced this during a press conference on Monday.
According to Edam, the fire service faces major challenges. In particular, the ongoing fires at the landfill sites in Ornamibo and Charlesburg are causing serious smoke nuisance and placing heavy pressure on the corps’ available capacity. The situation is being complicated by the fact that several fire engines have broken down in recent days.
The commander expects that the required parts for the defective vehicles will arrive within a few days, after which repair work can begin. The corps hopes this will improve the operational readiness of the fire stations in the short term.
Purchase and repair of fire engines insufficient
President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons has announced that five new fire engines will be purchased and eight existing vehicles will be repaired. According to Edam, however, these measures are insufficient to structurally resolve the problems within the corps.
“This is merely a drop in the ocean,” the fire chief stressed.
In addition to the shortage of fire engines, the corps is facing limited financial resources and a lack of materials, equipment and fuel. Fighting the recent fires requires considerable resources. Edam indicated that the fire service used 1,283 litres of fuel last weekend alone.
Increase in house fires caused by grass fires
The fire service is also concerned about the growing number of house fires caused by grass fires. According to Edam, nine house fires caused by grass fires were recorded in September. In October, that number rose to ten.
“For the first time, so many,” said the commander, underlining the seriousness of the situation.
To prevent new fires, Edam has instructed the corps’ Public Relations department to intensify public awareness efforts. Particular attention will be paid to the dangers of burning household waste and other rubbish in the open air.
The fire service wants to make citizens aware of the risks such actions entail. Uncontrolled burning can not only lead to serious smoke nuisance, but also to grass fires that spread to homes and other buildings.
Through the awareness campaign, the corps hopes to reduce the number of preventable fires and ease pressure on the already limited fire service capacity.
