Government commits to modernize National Fire Service  

Ambrose Dery

The Government under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reaffirmed its commitment to improve the conditions of service of all security services including the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).

In view of President Akufo-Addo’s commitment “the Minister of Finance has given the financial clearance for GNFS to purchase two new Hydraulic Platforms and Personal Protective Equipment,” Mr Ambrose Derry, Minister of the Interior has disclosed in Accra.

He said; “all these initiatives are geared towards building the capacity of our officers and men to deliver world class fire and resource services to Ghanaians”.

Mr Derry stated during interaction with a delegation of the GNFS led by Mr. Edwin Ekow Blankson, Chief Fire Officer and the Maltese Ambassador to Ghana Mr. Jean Claude Malia Galea at the Interior Ministry.

The delegation formally introduced the first batch of 20 Assistant Divisional Officer Grade II officers, who are currently in their final preparation stage before embarking on an international training programme in the Republic of Malta, from May 12 to 19, 2019. The second batch of 20 officers is expected to leave in September.

The Interior Minister also entreated the delegation “to go and put out their best to project the image of the Service and Ghana as a whole. Go and live descent lives.”

Mr. Blankson revealed that “the personnel had a three-week pre-departure training programme at the Fire Academy and Training School (FATS) and a rigid top up training programme at the Ghana Civil Aviation Fire Training Facility”.

He said the annual overseas training package is a product of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Service and E & P Services Limited, a subsidiary of the Alberta Group of Malta.

The Chief Fire Officer said last year, 20 personnel from the service benefited from the 10-day training programme, stressing that, other overseas training packages were being planned as part of efforts of his administration to build a strong and formidable fire service.

In addition to external training opportunities, Mr Blankson said there was the urgent need for the service to improve on its capacity to conduct quality in-service career development training programmes for personnel.

Mr Blankson said the GNFS was in search of private partnership to assist it build a modern Fire Service College to serve the country and the sub-region while there was an agenda to upgrade facilities at the Fire Service Academy and Training School.

He said human resource capacity building was one of the core aims of his administration with the others being acquisition of modern equipment, personnel welfare, professionalism and occupational health and safety.

Mr. Galea in his remark pledged his commitment to the strengthening of the relationship between Malta and Ghana, which has resulted in GNFS personnel undertaking capacity training in Malta.

He said the GNFS had signed an MOU with a Maltese private sector, resulting in the second batch of personnel from the Service visiting Malta.

He said “what you do today will lead you to what you plan for tomorrow, so I want you to take this opportunity and learn from Malta”.

Source: GNA

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