The minister acknowledged that the Fire Department Suriname (KBS) received several donations and personal standard gear for the firefighters these past couple of months thanks to media reports but added that more money is always needed from the budget of his ministry or the treasury to replace materials and fire engines. He pointed out that although recent donations contributed to the improvement of the basic gear, there is still a structural shortage of material. Minister Monorath made it clear that it is of the utmost importance that investments are made in the Fire Department Suriname on a regular basis. One of the biggest problems is the shortage of fire engines. The minister as well as the men from the Fire Department Suriname emphasize the urgency regarding the purchase of new vehicles to strengthen the operational capacity of the department. According to the Ministry one fire engine costs between 300,000 euros and 850,000 euros. Because of the high prices, the KBS often either bought secondhand vehicles from the Netherlands or depended on donations. On October 14th, 2019 the Fire Department Suriname received 4 secondhand fire engines. That was also the last time that the KBS had expanded its fleet. “It remains necessary to keep making investments in the safety of the nation and the people who are on standby day and night in order to jump into action whenever there is a fire or another type of calamity.”