The Western Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has taken its sensitisation drive to basic schools within the region to educate the pupils on fire safety practices.

The move formed part of the command’s “Catch Them Young” agenda that sought to equip young people with the necessary knowledge and skills to observe safety and prevent fire outbreaks within their homes and communities.

Assistant Divisional Officer (ADO) I, Mabel Nanee-Tamakloe, who led personnel from the Regional Public Education Team, educated the students and staff on safe handling of naked flames, safe use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), safe electrical practices, and the importance of observing daily fire safety practices and protocols at home and school.

ADO I Linda Afua Pongo, Deputy Public Relations Officer (PRO), Western Region GNFS, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the initiative was to inculcate fire safety knowledge in the young ones so it became a culture they would live with as they grew.

“We want to catch them young starting from the basic schools, and we are in talks with the Ministry of Education to include fire safety in the school curriculum so that as they grow it becomes a culture that they live with,” she said.

She encouraged the pupils to practice what they had been taught in their homes to help reduce incidents of fire outbreaks and related issues in the region.