Fire Service to embark on door-to-door education

The Ghana National Fire Service(GNFS) is to embark on door –to-door public education on fire safety to help reduce domestic fires in the country.

The decision of the Service was informed  by the fact that most  domestic fires were caused by misuse and mishandling of Liquefied Petroleum Gas(LPG),  general carelessness, poor electrical wiring of houses, use of obsolete electrical equipment  and general none compliance with the fire safety regulations in the home.

This formed part of a series of decisions taken at the end of the 12th Conference of Directors and Regional Fire Officers of the Ghana National Fire Service(GNFS) at Koforidua.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency(GNA), the National  Public Relations Officer(PRO) of the GNFS, Mr James Oheneba Yaw Kwateng said the Service had decided to ensure that all high rising buildings had landing valves to enhance fire-fighting  in those buildings including; acquisition of two hydraulic platforms which could help fight fire on the tenth floor of a high rise building.

He said the Conference decided to rebrand the Fire Volunteer programme to make it more attractive to help prevent bushfires and help  protect farms  including those established  under the Planting  for Food and  Jobs (PFJ).

Mr Kwateng said from January to August this year, the Service has lost 41 personnel, some of which might have died from hazards of their profession and so the conference decided that more attention should be given to the health of the personnel of  the Service.

He said the conference decided that regular health checks would be organized  for the staff of the Service and also to construct gymnasium at all regional offices of the  Service  and encourage  personnel to undertake regular exercises.

In a speech read on his behalf, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Eric Kwakye  Darfour assured the GNFS personnel of the government determination to review their service conditions to make the Service more attractive  and also retool the service to  enhance service delivery.

Source: GNA