The Chief Fire Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Mr Felix Ferkah, on Friday expressed worry about tribal sentiments in the service and said those tendencies would not help to improve its public image. "We must concentrate on our similarities and move away from stressing on our differences to move the service forward" he said. Mr Ferkah, who said this when the Operations Committee of the Fire Service Council met with personnel from the Eastern Region in Koforidua, stressed that where one came from should not be a detriment to the image of the service. He told the personnel that public perception about the Fire Service was not the best and urged them to work hard and diligently. Mr Ferkah urged personnel to put in their maximum to ensure that the service became a force to reckon with in the sustainable development of fire safety in the country. He said in order for the service to be proactive, processing of fire safety certificates should be made simple to ensure that the public adhered to that enforcement. He said GH¢20,000 (¢200 million) for the purchase of a pick-up for the best region had been set-aside to motivate personnel to work hard. The Chairman of the Operations Committee, Squadron Leader Stanley Pierre, said their visits to fire stations so far had brought to the fore the overcrowding and congestion of the Accra Central Fire Station in the heart of the city and the need for relocation. The Regional Fire Officer, Mr Solomon Mensah, said fire safety records in the region had improved considerably due to intensive fire education on fire safety. He also attributed the fire improvement in the region to the enforcement of the Legislative Instrument (LI) on fire safety at premises and urged all to acquire the fire safety certificates. Source: GNA