Officials of the Brong Ahafo Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) have trained residents in the municipality in fighting domestic and industrial fires.
The exhibition and fire safety education was part of activities of the service to mark International Firefighters Day; an event aimed at affording the public the opportunity to have insight into the operations of the GNFS.
It was on the theme “Support Firefighters, Your Safety our priority” and attended by other security agencies, students, and a section of the public.
Addressing participants at the programme, the Regional Commander of GNFS, ACFO James Owusu-Adjei explained the exercise became necessary as a result of the increasing rate of recorded fire outbreaks in the region within the first quarter of 2018.
“We have so far recorded 321 outbreaks in the first quarter of 2018 as against 235 the same period in 2017. This is not good enough and we, therefore, have to do something to save lives and properties collectively. The engagement is, therefore, to help in battling fire outbreaks and afford you the opportunity to ask questions and seek clarifications of fire safety issues”, he said.
He blamed the increase in fire outbreaks in the region on uncontrolled bush burning and appealed to residents to desist from the act by partnering city authorities to find better ways of clearing their lands.
“Bushfire alone accounted for 183 outbreaks in the first quarter 2018 as compared to 112 last year,” he emphasized.
He, therefore, called on the law enforcing agencies to be proactive and deal with offenders and persons who intentionally set fire to farms, homes, and properties.
The Regional GNFS Commander pledged his outfit’s readiness to conduct fire safety education in schools, markets, homes, and institutions to reduce the impact of fires on the economy.
Some participants at the program who spoke to Citi News commended the GNFS for the exercise and appealed to the government and philanthropists to resource the service to enable it to discharge its mandate effectively.
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By: Mashoud Kombat/citinewsroom.com/Ghana