GNFS Ceremony (General News)

18/11/11

Published 19/11/11

GNFS Ceremony (GENERAL NEWS) - GNFS records fewer fire outbreaks this year

STORY: Alice Aryeety and Zoe Darling

THE Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has recorded a significant reduction in the number of fire outbreaks this year, compared to 2010.

One thousand, five hundred and seventy two fire outbreaks were recorded, with the damage estimated at GHC2,237,239 as of September this year, compared to 2,601 fire outbreaks, with a damage bill of GHC360,027,775.57, in 2010.

  The Chairman of the Fire Service Council and Member of Parliament  for Madina/Abokobi, Alhaji Amadu B. Sorogho, announced the figures at the passing-out ceremony of Course 42 Recruits of the GNFS at the Fire Academy and Training School (FATS) in Accra yesterday.

Special awards were presented to four recruits. While R/FM Alori Benjamin took home the overall best recruit award, R/FM Justice Dellor received the best recruit in foot drills, with R/FW Susana Kudiabor winning the Commandant’s award and R/FM Robertson S. Nkudede, the best in academics.

Despite the reduction in figures, which may be attributed to intensified public fire safety education and engagement with the public, Alhaji Sorogho said the Fire Service could do more to ensure further decline in subsequent years.

Two hundred and ninety-nine recruits, comprising 96 women and 203 men, drawn from all the 10 regions graduated  after a 16-week training course.

Another batch of 300 recruits will commence training by the end of this month as part of the GNFS recruitment exercise.

It is anticipated that 3,000 men and women are to be recruited over the three-year period from 2011 to 2013.

 “The recruitment drive is in recognition of the readiness of the government to provide a career for the youth in fire fighting and rescue and resource the service to meet the fire safety needs of the citizens,” Alhaji Sorogho said.

In addition to enhancing the human resource base of the service, 227 fire-fighting vehicles and equipment, funded by the Exim Bank of the USA and India and the Belgian Government, started arriving in the country from April this year.

A total of 57 pick-up vehicles, 10 motorbikes and two buses are also expected to arrive by the end of the year to help in service delivery.

Two hundred and sixty acres of land has also been acquired at Dodowa for the building of a modern Fire Academy and Training College capable of training about 500 people at any time.

These measures, as well as the provision of  funds as a temporary solution, are to address the challenges, including inadequate personnel accommodation and vehicles, other logistics and working service conditions of for personnels, faced by the GNFS.