Secret Squirrel wrote:Paging all the conspiracy theorists.....................

Sailorman wrote:Let me see, Cambodian fire departments. No equipment, no fire fighter suits (turnout gear), no proper water nozzles, little or no training, no proper fire plans, no proper hose lays, no fire hydrants, no SCBA (air-packs), no life saving gear, no Emergence Medical Technicians/fire-fighters, no national training site, no hook and ladder trucks/cherry-picker boom trucks even though tall building are being built, no mutual response co-ordination with other fire departments, little or no pay which makes for no esprit de corps, no salvage equipment, and the usual corruption in obtaining the noted things.

I have been an EMT/firefighter, 30+ years on shipboard fire brigades, hold both basic and advanced firefighting certificates (advanced done were US Navy trains), I volunteered my time with the Australian NGO that trains firefighters. I was told that yes, I was qualified to teach fire fighting, but no wasn't needed. Obviously I was getting into someone's rice bowl. Usual useless scam NGO's?

Fire Departments in Cambodia? Useless, and an accident looking for a place to happen. Lucky the construction is mostly concrete and not stick/wood built, but you have all the open gas cooking fires and tanks of volatile gas's, tanker trucks of gasoline in cities, and much, much more.

In Sihanoukville, I'm told the fire department wants $1000. before they will squirt water. I was at the fire down by the beach a couple years ago that took out some business's. With one truck, water, three trained firefighters and proper hose lays/nozzles, the fire would have been contained in about 20 minutes. As it was whole business burnt down and any other place on earth there would be a big investigation, but TIC (This Is Cambodia) You have to love it warts and all, but I would never build a building or start a business here.