‘Control spate of fire outbreaks across country’
The minister of the Interior, Mr Prosper Douglas Bani, has asked the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to continue to adopt innovative strategies to control the spate of fire outbreaks across the country.
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At the 13th graduation ceremony of the Fire Academy and Training School (FATS) in Accra yesterday, he said the increasing complexities in the nature of fire outbreaks required the GNFS to make a paradigm shift from the traditional methods of handling fire to a more preventive regime.
That, Mr Bani said, called for the deployment of the right technology and upgrading of the skills of the personnel of the service through refresher courses, international conferences and efficient leadership at the management level.
Graduation ceremony
The 106 serving officers attended refresher courses in fire safety, chemistry of combustion, leadership and management, corporate image building, written communication and current affairs, among other disciplines.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr John Kudalor; the Chief Fire Officer (CFO), Mr Albert Brown Gaisie, traditional rulers and other top-notched officers of the various security agencies attended the ceremony.
Efforts towards fire safety
While lauding the efforts made by the management of the GNFS and the Fire Service Council (FSC) to improve upon the response rate, Mr Bani said it was important for personnel of the service to show more commitment to their work to ensure that the government’s investment in logistics yielded the desired results.
“The government is focused on preventive mechanisms in fire management that will help to save lives and property. It is for this reason that it has continued to empower the management of the GNFS through the provision of the needed logistics, as well as opportunities for the personnel of the service to participate in international conferences to sharpen their skills,” he added.
Background
The country has recorded a string of domestic, industrial and wild fires over the years, particularly during the first and last quarters of every year.
Statistics show that domestic fires account for more than 41 per cent of all fires, necessitating education and sensitisation at the household level to make people fire safety conscious.
In that regard, Mr Gaisie said the GNFS had begun a home-based pilot programme on fire safety education across the country with the aim of building the capacity of the public to manage home fires.
“This initiative forms part of a national communication strategy by the GNFS to sensitise all households and homes to the need to adhere to safe practices at home and the need to acquire fire safety equipment,” he added.
Mr Gaisie said task forces had been set up in communities to educate the public on fire safety, while plans had also been stepped up to foster more collaboration with school authorities, traditional rulers and district assemblies to ensure that the sensitisation gets to all people.
Fire safety at home
The Chairman of the FSC, Mr Kenneth Dzirasah, for his part, explained that the home safety fire policy that was being piloted was a strategic move to ensure that households obtained fire safety compliance certification.
“This requirement will have to include the availability of fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and other fire extinguishing media,” he added.
Mr Dzirasah said it was cost effective to acquire fire safety equipment rather than lose lives and property through fires.
Officer Cadet Ebenezer Kwasi Andrews emerged the overall best graduate, while three other officers were recognised for excelling in foot drills, best in academics and winning the Commandant’s award.