The Eastern Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has indicated that it would be more than alert this year to ensure cases of fire outbreaks in the region are reduced to, if possible, zero.

The Regional Commander, Assistant Chief Fire Officer (A.C.F.O) Edward Kweku Ashon, disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Koforidua on Thursday.

He said: “In 2010, 51 cases were recorded, which reduced drastically to 17 in 2011. However, we saw a whooping 66 cases being recorded in 2012, which is a signal that we must be awake and alert in 2013 to beat it down to zero.”

“Our vehicles and other necessary equipment are in good shape at the various offices in the region to respond to any call at anytime in case of any eventualities, however we are not going to sit down to wait for any fire outbreak to occur.”

A.C.F.O Ashon said his outfit had started a vigorous public education on fire safety in schools, market places, churches and social gatherings to ensure incident free this year.

He said the house-to-house education team and the safety department of the service had also been strengthened to conduct inspections and to offer fire safety training to residents, market men and women and students.

A.C.F.O Ashon said; “We are soon meeting the market queens to dialogue and train them to educate their friends on our behalf and moreover our team will patrol the market centres until the gates are closed and keys deposited at the police station before leaving.”

The mostly affected towns in the region are Koforidua, Donkorkrom, Begoro, Akwatia and Kade and the GNFS had strengthened fire volunteer groups in those areas to ameliorate fire cases. The regional commander sent a word of caution to traders at the various markets in the region to be very sensitive, vigilant and circumspect to fire issues at the markets.

He called on the municipal, and district assemblies to continue to offer all necessary assistance to the GNFS to fight undesired fires.

A.C.F.O Ashon also entreated residents to make themselves available to the fire safety team who come round to educate since it is for their own good.

“The people who have also turned themselves into arsonists, especially at the market squares, putting their neigbours sheds or stores on fire should desist from the act, it is evil,” he said.