Ambrose Dery (M) with the Ashanti Regional GNFS Commander and Chief Director, Interior Ministry
THE MINISTER of Interior, Ambrose Dery has stated that an order has been placed for the purchase of two new fire engines with aerial ladders that could reach 10-storey buildings in the retooling investment in the internal security services.
The engines, he said, are to complement existing ones which are nearing retirement after they were procured in 2004 for the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).
Addressing personnel of the service in Kumasi as part of his working visit to the Ashanti Region, the Minister indicated that the hydraulic platforms will allow firefighters to work from a higher height than the current appliances.
According to him, the retooling package includes personal protective equipment to enable personnel protect lives and properties by promptly responding to fire emergencies and accidents in the country.
“You play a very significant role in the security system of this country. You manage and prevent fires. I am happy to hear that you used to have 95 fire cases per month in this region and now it is 23 fire cases per month. Congratulations.”
He continued: “I want to believe that it is the education that you give. It is the preventive strategies that you pursue,” and added that personnel are yet to have appropriate apparel since the inception of fire service in this country.
Mr Dery said that the Ministry was working towards getting the GNFS the needed equipment for them to work assiduously and effectively for the interest of the nation.
“Before President Akufo-Addo came to power, the highest your fire equipment could go is a five-storey building. So you can imagine what happened to me when there was a fire on the 10th floor of parliament’s job 600 house.”
“What I am trying to say is that it is very tedious for you to go to that level without equipment. This should be a thing of the past,” the Interior Minister said.
Mr Dery said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government led by President Akufo-Addo has interest in the welfare of security personnel, and has accordingly asked the fire service’s council to work comprehensively to see how government can make fire officers also have similar conditions as other security agencies.
On cap 30, the Minister told the officers that, under the authority of the President, “no security agencies will be taken out of cap 30. Your rent allowances have been paid. And if you go to your headquarters now, we have begun acquiring vehicles and equip the commands,” he stated in delight of the personnel.
The Minister said President Akufo-Addo appreciated all officers of the security agencies and had asked him to thank them for the good work “you are doing, but for us in Ashanti, we need to work together.”
He averred that the fire service is an elite agency throughout the world, and that it is government’s desire to raise the country’s service to that level.
“The government has given you unprecedented recruitment approval to recruit 1,000 new personnel. Every district wants a fire station and we want to cope with that. This is not to say I am promising you one district one fire station,” he said.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi