The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has announced government plans to recruit more personnel into the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to meet the international standards of one ratio of firemen to every 800 citizens.

He stated that it was unprecedented in the history of the GNFS for a government to recruit over 7,000 personnel, saying when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) took office in 2017, the total number of GNFS personnel was 8,000 but they were able to recruit 7,000 personnel, representing 88 per cent increase within just seven years,

The Vice President indicated that such achievement, spearheaded by the NPP government, demonstrated his dedication to improving the capabilities of the country’s firefighting force to provide world-class emergency and rescue services to Ghanaians.

Dr Bawumia made the announcement when he commissioned the first phase of the Fire Academy and Training School (FATS) at Duayaw Nkwanta in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region.

The first phase of the project included a three-story classroom block with administration offices, a kitchen, dining hall, training square and a two-story dormitory for both male and female trainees.

Dr Bawumia emphasized that the commissioning of the first phase of the Duayaw Nkwanta FATS showcased government’s commitment to ensure the safety and welfare of all Ghanaians, indicating the school served as a representation of the government’s promise in 2017 to expand the number of training schools for the GNFS.

He mentioned that when the NPP government took office in 2017, there was only one fire training school in Ghana, which was evident that the country required additional training facilities to enhance efficiency and support the expansion of GNFS services.

Dr Bawumia highlighted government’s efforts to equip the GNFS with modern, state-of-the-art equipment, which included the provision of command vehicles, modern fire engines, drones, rapid intervention vehicles, buses, appropriate personal protective equipment, as well as rescue and fighting gear.

The resources form part of a comprehensive strategy aimed at ensuring that firefighting personnel were well-equipped to respond effectively to emergencies, he added

He said the investment in modern equipment aligned with government’s vision to empower the GNFS to fulfil its mandate of saving lives and protecting properties.

He stated that the resources were not only enhancing the capacity of the GNFS but also enabling the handling of diverse and complex firefighting scenarios, thereby contributing to the overall safety and security of communities.

Chief Fire Officer (CFO), Julius A. Kuunuor emphasized the Fire Service’s loyalty to enhance community safety through their proactive approach in equipping citizens with up-to-date fire safety tips.

He said in 2022, a total of 6,154 fire cases were recorded nationwide while 5,973 fires were recorded in 2023, marking a significant reduction of 2.94 per cent of fire incidents.

He attributed the great achievement to the strategic utilisation of both traditional and new media channels, along with targeted extensive public education campaigns.

CFO Kuunuor expressed the Service’s willpower to eliminate preventable fires in the country and affirmed their progress by emphasising plans to increase its presence across all regions, deliver fire safety education to every corner of the nation, and ensure compliance with fire safety regulations through the full implementation of Legislative Instruments (LI) 1724 and LI 2249.