Ghana, Liberia Fire Services move to strengthen bilateral cooperation

The Chief Fire Officer, Daniella Mawusi Ntow Sapong, has reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening institutional cooperation with Liberia’s National Fire Service following a high-level working visit by her Liberian counterpart to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).

The visit was aimed at revitalising the existing partnership, promoting professional knowledge-sharing and exploring opportunities for enhanced cooperation in fire prevention, emergency response and disaster management.

Speaking during the meeting, CFO Ntow Sapong noted the importance of sustained institutional collaboration between the two countries, recalling the role played by Ghana in strengthening Liberia’s firefighting capacity.

She noted that GNFS instructors travelled to Liberia in 2022 to provide training for personnel of the Liberia National Fire Service, describing the engagement as an important milestone in the relationship between the two institutions.

She reaffirmed her commitment to renewing and expanding the partnership, particularly in the areas of technical expertise, personnel development, operational efficiency and institutional capacity-building.

CFO Ntow Sapong highlighted ongoing efforts by the Ghana National Fire Service to improve its operational capabilities, including plans to acquire additional fire appliances, pick-up vehicles, rapid intervention vehicles and motorbikes to enhance emergency response across the country.

According to her, strengthening the service's logistical and operational resources remains an important part of improving its ability to respond effectively to fire incidents and other emergencies.

The Chief of the Liberia National Fire Service, G. Warsuwah Barvoul Sr. explained that the visit was intended to renew the relationship established in 2016 and identify practical areas of cooperation, including opportunities for Liberia to learn from and replicate some of Ghana's fire service initiatives.

He further disclosed that the Liberia National Fire Service was working towards developing a strategic plan to modernise its operations, infrastructure and institutional systems.

Mr. Barvoul also called for more frequent engagements between the two institutions to facilitate the exchange of ideas, technical knowledge and best practices in firefighting and emergency management.