The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) is working with owners of high rise buildings in the country to acquire aerial platforms to facilitate fire fighting in buildings with 10 floors and above. In this regard, a committee has been set up to work out the modalities and co-ordinate the process for the acquisition of the equipment. It is also discussing with the National Insurance Commission for the establishment of a Fire Maintenance Fund spelt out in the Insurance Act 2006 (Act 724). The objective for setting up the fund is to provide funds and equipment to state institutions assigned with fire fighting functions and such other organizations as the commission may determine for the purpose of fire fighting. The Chairman of the GNFS Council, Alhaji Ahmadu Sorogho, announced this at the launch of a website for the country's fire fighting institution. The website, www.ghanafire and rescue.org, is expected to ensure public education on fire safety and prevention across the country. It will also keep the public abreast of the day-to-day activities of the GNFS. It features a children's section, which educates and informs them on safety tit-bits and home safety tips, as well as the contact numbers of the district, regional and Fire Master Control Rooms of the GNFS. Alhaji Sorogho, who launched the website, said even though successive governments had done their best by equipping the various security agencies, the GNFS has been the most neglected and that a lot needed to be done to boost the morale of the personnel and ultimately, uplift its image. He said the "government is making efforts to ensure that the numerous problems that confront the institution are adequately dealt with to ensure that our gallant officers and men enjoy their work". He said the GNFS would soon change its name to the Ghana National Fire and Rescue Service to reflect its operations as the service did not only fight fire but was also involved in rescue missions in the country. Alhaji Sorogho called for the regular update of the website to make it useful. "Update it regularly so that it can be a ‘living website' that can be of benefit to us," he said. The Chief Fire Officer (CFO), William Brown-Acquaye, in his remarks, said the website would serve as a communication tool that -would bring the services and relevance of the GNFS into the lime light. He stated that as part of management's Strategic Policy Document for the institution, fire safety remained the topmost priority because "when there is effective fire safety and prevention education, there would be less fire to fight." CFO Brown-Acquaye said that the initiative was worthwhile, as it would furnish the public with the information they needed, adding “one could easily get information on how to acquire a fire certificate and download an application form for fire certificate on the website”. The GNFS is plagued with logistical problems making fire fighting in the country a difficult task. Source: Daily Graphic