Fire prevention at GRIDCo’s Substations and Safety Training was the focus of discussions when a delegation from the company, led by its CEO Ebenezer Essienyi engaged the Chief Fire Officer and Management of the Ghana Fire Service (GNFS) on February 16.

The discussions with the GNFS reflected diverse ways to best protect the assets from fire.

One of GRIDCo’s core values is safety; for staff and the protection of its 68 substations and other assets nationwide.

The GNFS emphasised the need to undertake a risk assessment of GRIDCo’s facilities.

Based on the report, the GNFS will then advise on the best strategy to adopt to protect the substations from fire.

At the meeting, both entities agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to govern how the proposed collaboration, which includes safety training, will be executed.

Of critical mention is GRIDCo’s work with the Forestry Commission to create a green belt along GRIDCo’s Right of Way (or where the transmission lines are located) to protect them from encroachment and other risks.

The GNFS suggested the creation of a “brown belt” alongside the “green belt” to ensure it does not become a fire hazard for the assets (as branches and leaves scattered around the green belt can function as fuel for fire).

Ebenezer Kofi Essienyi thanked the Service for the audience and reception offered to him and his team. The entourage also included Bernard Gyan, Director-Technical Services; Samuel Kow Acquah, Manager of Strategy Risk and Compliance, and Kojo Kwarteng, Special Assistant to the Chief Executive.

Present at the meeting on behalf of the Service were ACFO II George Wiafe, Deputy Director, Fire Safety Education; David Sam Afful, Assistant Director of Investigations; Michael Ato Korsah, Deputy Director – of Fire Certification; Ernest Ampene of Investigation Directorate; Husbert Atobra Nyame-Boame of the Safety Directorate and Ackah Desmond, Deputy National Public Relations Officer.