Department plans improvement of facilities

PAPUA New Guinea’s Fire Services Department is planning to improve station facilities, equipment and training this year, if funding is available.
Chief fire officer Bill Roo told The National that the plan included improving station commander’s accommodations, station barracks, replacing fire engine equipment, the setting up of fire stations in provinces and the recruitment of more firemen.
“We need to re-build the colonial buildings in the stations, replace the fire truck equipment and recruit more people to replace the aging staff,” he said.
“All these were planned long time ago but funding has been an issue. We can have so many plans for the organisations but funding constraints prevent action,” Roo said.
“Our hands are tied and we are unable to move forward.
“We need to review the Act.
“I am trying to recruit many young people because many of the men have aged.
“We need new manpower to move forward.”
He said fire services was a noble profession that could not just recruit a graduate from the university.
“To be in this profession, you have to build a career out of it,” Roo said.
“It is a very technical profession, you have to be trained and learn from experience and more training over time to be qualified,” he said, adding that this year’s recruitment would soon be called.