The Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong has assured personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service of government’s unwavering support to retool the service to make personnel more efficient.
According to the minister, the Akufo-Addo-led government is committed to resourcing the service in the area of provision of necessary equipment, logistics, training and personnel to make them effective to deliver on their mandate.
Delivering an address on his behalf by the coordinating director, John A. Donkor, at a memorial service on the occasion of the celebration of the International Firefighters Day in Koforidua today May 4, set aside to celebrate fallen heroes of the service, the Eastern Regional Minister appreciated the efforts of the gallant men.
“As we mark this important occasion, may I use this opportunity to salute all fire officers including our fallen heroes and their families, for their dedication, commitment and selfless sacrifices demonstrated always to keep our country and forest safe from the ravages of wild and domestic fire at the peril of their lives. By dedicating their lives to the most dangerous profession, firemen and women keep the community and the environment safe for us.
He added, “The Akufo-Addo government is committed to resourcing the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) by providing personnel, training, necessary equipment and other logistical support to make the GNFS more effective to deliver on their mandate. I would like to also commend the GNFS for being innovative in the delivery of their mandate to the people of our dear nation, government will continue to support the Service so that it can become one of the best on the continent and the world at large”.
On her part, the Eastern Regional Fire Service Commander ACFO, Jennifer Naa Yaaley Quaye, urged the personnel to let integrity and trust be their hallmark in the discharge of their duties.
“The safest way to keep firemen alive and home to their families is training therefore, training needs to be as intense and realistic as it can be, fire prevention and the need for more intensive and thorough training is one of the main aspects of International Firefighters’ Day. The need for proper training is one that needs to be met, and therefore International Firefighters’ Day is an opportunity to do exactly this”.
“I, therefore, beseech you all as firefighters to let integrity and trust be your hallmark, trust is of the utmost importance in all our activities as fire officers. Trust is the cornerstone of every business, and forms the basis of every human relationship, every interaction, communication, initiative, and any strategic imperative that needs to be accomplished. Let’s not forget trust is earned, and for that reason, we need to work assiduously to gain the trust of the public”.
She added, “The public needs to trust us with their personal property, their safety, their privacy, and even their lives, a firefighter’s misconduct of any kind not only hurts the Service but hurts all firefighters because it chips away at the public’s trust that is so essential. The reputation of a firefighter as being trustworthy and someone you can always rely on in any situation is something that all firefighters are responsible to help maintain. In order for the team to function optimally, each member must also trust everyone on their crew as well. Firefighters rely on each other in every duty, integrity and trust within the crew is therefore essential”.