The Central Regional Minister, Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe on Thursday advised traders to insure their businesses to enable them to re-start in times of disasters such as fire outbreaks. She called on them to be each others keepers and correct one another from acts that could lead to fire adversities. The Regional Minister gave the advice in a speech read on her behalf at the maiden launch of the Central Regional Market Safety Programme on the theme: “Building fire-safe markets: a task for all.” The educational Programme being carried out by the Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) for traders, seeks to create and sustain awareness on the hazards of market fires to ensure fire safe in major markets . She noted that the socio-economic effects of fire disasters at the market was enormous because traders would not be able to pay back loans from financial institutions while the Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) would also not meet their targeted revenue for development projects. Mrs Benyiwa-Doe said the phenomenon eventually led to family problems such as school drop outs. She identified human errors such as bad electrical installations as some of the causes of the fires. She noted that if victims of such fires had been educated and trained on its dangers and effects, most of the tragedies would have been avoided. The Minister therefore called on the MMDAs in the Region to give their maximum support and be more committed to fire safety programmes. Mrs Benyiwa-Doe lauded the GNFS for the effort and pledged Government’s commitment to adequately resource the service to intensify the education on fire prevention and also ensure that victims were attended to and given the necessary assistance required. The Regional Fire Commander, Kwesi Ankonam Quayson said that the command had outlined its programme of action for 2011, which among other things sought to maintain a continuous reduction in the frequency of fire outbreaks within the region. He said as part of the programme, the command would form, train and sustain fire volunteer squads who would serve as a first line of defence in any event of fire outbreaks and carry out rescue emergencies in markets, lorry parks, workplaces and communities. He said this year had been declared an “action year for fire safety” and would carry out public fire education, emergency response as well as fire safety inspections and enforcements as part of the programme. The Regional Fire Officer underscored the role traders and drivers play in the country’s socio-economic development and was of the hope that all major markets would be covered by the end of the year with trained fire volunteer squads and called for the support of MMDAs, traders and other stakeholders. He expressed worry about bad practices of the traders and called on them to stop littering the environment since rubbish sometimes foster the quick spread of fires. The Deputy Regional Co-ordinator of National Disaster Management Organisation, Mr Sandy Amartey noted that since carelessness was a major contributor in fire outbreaks, the traders should acquire fire extinguishers to deal with emergencies. Source: GNA