Sailorman wrote:There is an Australian NGO that trains Firefighters or at least they say they do. My guess its like the rest of the NGO's which are just a money scam. I volunteered to teach (for free), have the documentation/certificates/experience, but was told thanks, but no. My guess is I was getting into their rice bowl. Lucky, everything here is made out of concrete.

Yep, that's exactly what a Khmer said when we were discussing Khmer wooden houses. He was saying they have no real idea about safety a lot of the time and when the houses were all wood, there were a lot of fires. He was a project manager for a large western style luxury apartment complex and a very honest and smart Khmer architectural engineer. Told me the real M2 prices for building in SNVL/ KOW.

Interview on Cambodian fire safety regulations, or the lack of them.

Deaths by fire on the rise due to total lack of building regulations

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-weeke ... egulations

Almost no money is spent on fire departments and equipment. In Sihanoukville, everything they have is either donated or second hand cast offs. The firemen have to hold a second job to make ends meet and there is the usual corruption with payoffs to high ups for any work done.

I'm told that the port in Sihanoukville has some good equipment, but there is no "mutual response" between it and the city fire department, which means no backup in a big fire. I was at the last big fire that took out Mick n' Craigs, Monkey Republic, etc. One well equipped pumper fire truck, three inch and a half hose lays with nozzles that go from steam to fog, three guys in air-packs (SCBA) with training and a lot of that property damage would have never happened. As usual the money that should be spent on the fire department goes into someone's pocket.

Yes, lucky everything is made out of concrete, but people aren't.

I believe this "Fire Safe" is the NGO that turned me down as an volunteer instructor because I was getting into their rice bowl.

Going back through my emails, I offered to teach (for free) firefighting skills and was turned down by Australian Firefighters International Relief (NGO). (I was getting into their rice bowl.) It seems the guy in the interview is co-founder of AFIRE(NGO) and has now started commercial for profit companies to sell firefighting equipment. Like most NGOs the bottom line looks to be money. Get money from your countrymen to run your NGO and live well, then direct fire departments to buy equipment from your for profit company. I don't call it Scambodia for nothing.