Fire Service urged to consider volunteers in recruitment

Ekumfi Suprudo (C/R), Feb. 16, GNA - The Twifu-Hemang-Lower Denkyira District Director of Education, Miss Regina Victoria Longdon, has suggested to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to give priority to volunteers with basic qualifications when recruiting personnel into the service.

This, Miss Longdon said, would encourage more people to offer themselves for training as volunteers and also serve as a morale booster for the sacrificial duties of firemen.

She made the suggestion at a passing-out ceremony for 64 fire volunteers recruited from Suprudo, Potwaben and Obidan after undergoing an 11-week training in fire fighting techniques at Suprudo, near Mankessim.

The District Fire Officer for Cape Coast University, Nana Brenya, reiterated the need to preserve the ecology for the future generation. Nana Brenya appealed to district assemblies to support fire volunteers with incentives to make them perform.

Mr Kofi Aidoo, Principal Personnel Officer of the Mfantseman District Assembly, urged the volunteers not to operate beyond their bounds.

He appealed to the GNFS to organise periodic in-service training for the volunteers to update them to cope with the times and pledged the support of the assembly in that direction.

Mr Samuel Adabo, Mfantseman District Fire Officer, said 65 fires were recorded in the district in 2003, adding that through an intensive educational campaign in the communities, the incidence of fires reduced to 29 in 2004.

Nana Adeenu IV, Chief of Suprudo, advised the volunteers to let their training benefit their communities by not only fighting bush fires but also educating the people on the hazards of fire. Miss Longdon donated 100 T-Shirts to the volunteers.