PARAMARIBO - The huge fire that destroyed four buildings that were located in the Henck Ar-ronstraat could have been contained if the government had invested more in the Fire Department Suriname (KBS).
Joel Panka, chairman of the union at the KBS, told Times of Suriname that the fire department had repeatedly sounded the alarm because of the lack of adequate gear and equipment but that officials failed to act.
“We informed the Ministry of Justice and Police of the problems of the Fire Department on multiple occasions. But our pleas fell on deaf ears,” said Panka. The Fire Department reportedly has water tank trucks that date back to the seventies and have outlived their purpose. Firefighters also lack basic gear such as boots which means that they are not fully protected when they do their work under dangerous circumstances. “We try to do our job with what little we have,” said Panka who urged the government to start making investments in the Fire Department Suriname by purchasing modern equipment and protective gear so that firefighters can do their job effectively.
