GNFS establishes forensic laboratory, plans to train firefighter across West Africa

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) as part of its exchange program would host a training for firefighters across the west African sub-region later the year.

This would help expand the horizons of the service personnel and open up a world of new educational and logistics opportunities.

It will also allow the service to view new and current trends in the industry.

Chief Fire Officer, Mr Julius A Kuunuor, who made this known mentioned that the Service had established a new forensic science laboratory at its national headquarters in Accra with the help of the National insurance Commission.

The yet to be equipped and commissioned forensic science laboratory, he said would be responsible for the examination and analysis of evidentiary materials, in areas including chemistry, arson, firearms, biochemistry and trace evidence among others.

This, he emphasized would go a long way to help the GNFS in fire investigation and report writing.

Nonetheless, he stressed that the GNFS would need assistance with the construction of the fire service college and the special hospital at Kyebi in the Eastern Region.

Divisional Officer Albert Aidoo of the Directorate of Policy Planning Monitoring and Evaluation said the GNFS existed with the vision to save lives and properties through firefighting, rehabilitation and other rescue services.

He noted that the Service has contributed immensely to the well-being of the country since its inception in 1963.

In the past decades, he indicated that the GNFS has demonstrated through the delivery of its valued services, training and development of human resource capacity, competence in fire engineering and rescue, equipment tool and logistics as well as local and international reputations as a credible institution.

He said the Service was adequately working closely with the Civil Protection Department of the Republic of Malta to train officers in various capabilities such as forensics, fire investigation and report writing, incident command system, operational fire fighting among others.

This, he said was to boost the operational capabilities of the personnel and enable them learn new approaches to handling different situations.

He stressed that the service was preparing for the next batch of 20 officers to be deployed to Malta for their training in addition to the 40 that had already undergone the said training.

Malta Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Jean Claude Malea Galea assured the Service of continued support and promised to strengthen the bilateral cooperation programme.

He further pledged to work closely with the Service to train more officers in various capabilities to strengthen the operational capacities of personnel of the GNFS.