By Razark Baba.
The Director of Logistics at the Ghana National Fire Service, DCFO Heroine Boakye has appealed for the construction of Fire Stations in all districts in the Ashanti region.
She said 23 Fire Stations and 5 Fire Posts in the region are woefully inadequate and this affects response time especially in cases where there is marginal distance between the nearest Fire Station and scene of fire.
DCFO Boakye made the appeal at the inauguration of a 7 Unit Accommodation for the Ejura Fire Station in the Ashanti Region.
The Apartments which were handed over to the Personnel of Ghana National Fire Service were built by the Ejura Traditional Council. The Ejura Fire Station was commissioned on 15th September 1992, primarily to provide safety in the Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipality and its environs. For the last 3 decades, the station has performed tremendously in this regard.
This year, Ejura-Sekyedumase has so far recorded 8 fire outbreaks with no bush fires. The zero bush fires is welcome news given the Municipality’s importance in the Government’s flagship programme, Planting for Food and Jobs.
The performance exhibited of the Fire Personnel would however not have been possible without the support of the Ejura Traditional Council.
Personnel of the Service posted to the Municipality have to grapple with the challenge of finding their own accommodation, hence the Traditional Council thought it wise by providing them with the building.
The Ejura Traditional Council is also providing land for the construction of a Fire Service Staff College. At a durbar to inaugurate the accommodation at Ejura, the Director of Logistics at the Ghana National Fire Service, DCFO Heroine Boakye, commended the Traditional Council for the numerous support and collaborative gestures towards the diverse operational initiatives undertaken in the Municipality including the training and supporting of fire volunteer groups.
”We however Appeal for the speedy establishment of Fire Stations in districts in the Ashanti region without such a facility,” she said.
DCFO Heroine Boakye said since January 1 to 15th of September, Ashanti Region has so far recorded a total of 787 fire outbreaks in 2021. Comparatively, the region recorded 936 during the same period in 2020.
“The drop can be attributed to the carefully planned strategic fire safety intensification programmes championed by the Command,” she posited.
Ejurahene, Barima Osei Hwedie expressed serious concern about increasing highway robbery and incessant violence in the area. As a solution to the problem the Chief announced some interventions.
“I have therefore allocated land for establishment of a Military Camp, Municipal police Headquarters and a Fire Service Training Command to address these security challenges.”
