The National Insurance Commission (NIC) has commenced a programme to train Fire Service personnel on fire insurance and basic principles of insurance.

The programme forms part of the Commission’s campaign to create insurance awareness for the security agencies and allied bodies across the country.

To this end, a two-day training programme has been organised for some Fire Officer Cadets at the Fire Academy and Training School in Accra at which they were taken through fire insurance and risk management.

Speaking at the opening ceremony in Accra yesterday, the Commissioner of Insurance, Dr Justice Yaw Ofori said “The commencement of this training is a continuation of series of insurance training programmes outlined and targeted at not only the Security Agencies but also other allied agencies.”

He explained that the objective of the training was to build the knowledge of fire personnel on basic insurance to help protect lives and property.

Dr Ofori entreated the participants to take the training seriously, saying “when personnel of the Fire Service are well educated on insurance, they can also encourage others to appreciate the need for insurance as a risk management tool.”

Dr Ofori pledged continuous collaboration with the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in order to provide more sensitisation on the need to protect lives and property.

In his welcome remarks, the Commandant of the Fire Academy and Training School, Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) Gilbert Klutse, advised the Officer Cadets trainees, most of whom are already in the Service to take advantage of the training in order to serve as worthy ambassadors for the insurance industry.

He explained that training was necessary to build the knowledge of the participants, who were prospective Senior Officers of the GNFS onthe basics of insurance.

“The GNFSand the NIC have been in partnership on different fronts when disaster strikes. Indeed, the insurance industry most of the time depends on our fire reports to pay claims to victims. And I strongly believe some of you (Officer Cadets) have worked on such reports, one way or the other in your career,”ACFO Klutse said.

He commended NIC for sponsoring the programme and lauded the Commissioner of Insurancefor his interest in the training of fire personnel on insurance issues.

The Director of the Ghana Insurance College, Mr Richard Okyere, said the College, which is the main training arm of the Insurance Industry has so far trained about 5,000 out of a targeted 10,000 youth since the NIC started funding the training of Insurance Agents in July 2019.

The move, Mr Okyere said, has created employment in the insurance industry for many young people.

The NIC is the supervisory and regulatory body of all insurance entities in Ghana and has for some time now championed the training of key categories of personnel as part of the Commission’s mandate of making everyone aware of the benefits of insurance through its instituted Insurance Education Fund.