Sekondi, Sept. 29, GNA- Nana (Dr.) Frimpong Anokye Ababio, Chairman of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) Council, has said the Council would continue to work hard to provide the Service with adequate resources to enhance its operations.

He said personnel of the GNFS would be given the opportunity and assistance to upgrade their knowledge to enable them to achieve excellence in their duties.

Nana Anokye Ababio said these when he led members of the Council on a visit to the Western Regional Command of the GNFS at Sekondi on Thursday.

Nana Ekow Abban, GNFS Regional Commander, said public education had led to significant reduction in fire outbreaks in the region from 130 between January to July 2007 to 120 within the same period in 2008. Properties destroyed by fire in 2007 were estimated at about 814,000 Ghana cedis as against about 104,000 Ghana cedis worth of properties destroyed in 2008. Nana Abban said 20 hotels, eight factories and three gas service stations in the region have acquired fire certificates. Machines and equipment including computers supplied to the Command had greatly enhanced the operations of the Service in the Region, he said. Nana Abban commended Mr. Felix Kwame Ferkah, the Chief Fire Officer, for his hard work and that in recognition of his commitment to human resource development a hall at the command had been named after him. Mr. Ferkah said more attention would be given to human resource development to ensure efficiency among personnel of the service and urged the command to intensify its public education efforts in the region. He said 10 vehicles including buses and fire tenders have been procured for distribution to regional commands. 29 Sept 08