| Sub- officer of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS),NBA Authentic Jerseys, Chriswayne La Rose, yesterday recounted the dangerSub – officer of the Guyana Fire Service, Chriswayne La Roseposed to firefighters who were charged with extinguishing the blaze at the Georgetown Prisons.La Rose was testifying before the three-member Commission of Inquiry (COI) ordered by President David Granger.The COI was established following one of the deadliest riots to ever take place within the local prisons.According to La Rose, containing the fire that day was quite risky, given the location.La Rose told the commission that prisoners threatened the firefighters on the ground and at one point the men retreated to “a safe zone,” leaving the firefighting hose behind.When he arrived on the scene on March 3,Deion Jones Falcons Jersey, the fireman said that he observed firefighters already on the ground. He said his job that day was to provide instructions and guidance to them. However, the scene in the compound was quite chaotic and riotous with prisoners cursing and hurling threats and insults at the firemen.He said that the firefighters persisted in face of the threats and insults until there was a breach in the prison wall and some of the prisoners started to climb out of the Old Capital building.The witness noted that the firemen left their hoses and retreated to a safe zone. He said that approximately six prisoners climbed through the hole in the wall and formed a bucket brigade to help combat the blaze that was ravishing the Capital A building.According to La Rose,Cheap Sports Jerseys, firefighters then returned to continue efforts to contain the blaze since it was established that prisoners, who climbed out of the block were there to assist.He noted too that prison officers’ efforts to open the door of the burning area continued.After battling the deadly blaze for some time, the officer said that the fire was finally extinguished and the bodies of dead men were being carried out by prisoners. But before this was done, La Rose told the Commission that he inspected the inside of the torched building.“I observed piles of bodies to the right of the building about five or six. I couldn’t count…they were huddled together and burnt baldly,” La Rose stated.He said that there were bodies on the floor at the back of the building and “even the head of one of the corpses was not attached.”Further under cross examination by Attorney for the Guyana Bar Association(GBA) Christopher Ram and Attorney for the relatives of the deceased prisoners, Dexter Todd, the witness said that conducting work in the prison is always a dangerous task.The witness asserted that although the inmates who assisted with the fire were the ones who broke out of the Old Capital Building,Andre Branch Dolphins Jersey, there is always some amount of precaution taken before entering the prisons.“Honestly you don’t really feel safe in a prison compound,” he added. La Rose said that given the overcrowding and other security factors such as the scenario in which the inmates managed to kick out a wall to escape on the day of the fire is indicative that the prisoners could have busted at any time.Meanwhile,NFL Jerseys Cheap, Divisional Officer in charge of the fire service operations,Deion Sanders Falcons Jersey, Compton Sparman had earlier faced a series of questions from lawyer Christopher Ram.Ram questioned the fire official about his knowledge of the conditions, protocols and physical arrangement of the prison. The lawyer asked specifically about officer’s knowledge of the Fire Prevention Act and how it applies to the prisons.Asked about the number of exits and entrances at the Georgetown Prisons and whether the place held some unique condition to fight fires, Sparman declined to comment.“I don’t want to draw that conclusion because I’m not that officer in charge of inspection of buildings at this time,” he said.The witness nonetheless agreed that population density in an area increases the risk of fire and loss of life, should a fire occur.Ram then suggested that the conditions, number of occupants and physical arrangements at the prison constitute a fire risk by any measure of the Fire Prevention Act.The officer also declined to comment but noted that the Act is relevant in any part of Guyana.He later explained that the operation was a challenge because there was security risk. Instead of going to rescue persons as in normal circumstances the firemen resorted to only using water to put out the blaze .“The challenge was saving human lives regardless that they were inmates or whoever. They are people.”The Commission comprises Justice James Patterson, Merle Mendonca and retired Director of Prisons, Dale Erskine. |
