Fire Service to be better positioned to enhance work

The Government has assured the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) that by the middle of 2020 its regulation will be transformed into a Legislative Instrument (LI) to better position it for service delivery.

Mr Ambrose Dery, the Minister of Interior, who gave the assurance, said the LI would provide for allowances, which would serve as motivation to propel officers to work even harder.

The Minister said this at the end-of-year party of the GNFS in Accra.

He said the government was aware of some challenges the Service encountered in the discharge of its constitutional mandate of saving lives and property.

"I wish to, therefore, assure all personnel of government's unshaken resolve to equip the GNFS in a manner that will enable it to offer enhanced services to the public and also meet world-class standards," he said.

Mr Dery announced that the much-awaited two Hydraulic Platforms would arrive this year and urged the personnel to continue to work assiduously to ensure holistic safety of the citizenry.

The GNFS in 2019, through the support of the government, was able to acquire 11 command vehicles, a 34-seater bus, sod cutting for the construction of an ultramodern Forensic Laboratory, and the recruitment of more than 2000 personnel to augment the human resource base of the Service.

He, therefore, commended the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) as well as men and women of the Service for their selfless service to the nation.

Mr Edwin Ekow Blankson, the CFO, expressed gratitude to the Government for the support over the years.

He said 2019 saw a reduction in fire outbreaks as compared to 2018 while the Safety Directorate of the GNFS exceeded last year’s Internally Generated Fund (IGF) target, set by the Ministry of Finance, by six per cent.

He said the GNFS was poised to delivering on its mandate and urged Ghanaians to ensure that they put the necessary fire protection measures in place while putting up structures.

Mr Blankson said even though the Service did not lose any life through firefighting in the past year, 43 personnel lost their lives through other medical conditions.

He, thus, advised the personnel to embark on periodic health checks for early detection of diseases and treatment.