The Former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mae Toussaint Jr Thomas appeared before the Mahdia Dorm Fire Commission of Inquiry today and testified that she cannot recall ever receiving a report from the Officer in Charge of the Mahdia Fire Station, detailing the challenges that the Fire Station was facing as a result of the absence of adequate resources.

According to the report from the Fire Officer in the area, the Fire Station lacked basic equipment and tools at the time of the May 21, 2023 fire that destroyed the Mahdia Secondary School Female Dormitory and claimed the lives of 20 children.

Two separate reports were put to the former Permanent Secretary today.

Thomas, who was the Permanent Secretary at the Home Affairs Ministry at the time of the fire, told the Commission that had the second report with regards to safety of the dorm been submitted to her Office, she would have immediately consulted with the Permanent Secretaries at the Ministries of Education and Local Government to have the issues resolved.

“As permanent secretary, if I had seen it as urgent, I would have had a reporting structure which I would have said Minister Benn, please see, please advise and I am sure that he would have taken it to his colleague minister for whichever the dorm fell directly,” Thomas said.

Last week, the acting Chief Fire Officer, Gregory Wickham told the Commission of Inquiry that the Guyana Fire Service was unable to acquire key firefighting tools and equipment, such as breathing apparatus, water bowsers, sledge hammers and cutting tools, due to lack of financial resources.

But the former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry that overlooks the Fire Servce told the Commission that during weekly meetings with the Fire Service, the Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, repeatedly insisted that fire tenders must be fully equipped.

“Saying that we don’t have funds was only one way out. As all permanent secretaries and all agency heads know, there are provision for contingency fund, there is provision for the supplementary papers to the Minister of Finance and once properly justified, I am sure it will be considered,” Thomas said.

Throughout her more than one hour long testimony, Thomas told the Commission that the Home Affairs Minister had also warned fire fighters that should they report to a scene of a fire without the required protective gear and tools, they would be penalized.

“He would have insisted a hammer, a saw, these different tools of trade be on each truck. A simple thing like old jackets, that an old fireman turning up there – a retiree may not have his gear because he would have had to lodge it – that it can be there for him to throw on and reactivate back himself,” she said.

Thomas made her appearance today after being summoned to the Commission, after failing to show up on previous occasions. She currently serves as the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Labour.

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