Sunyani (B/A), July 10, GNA - Women of the Fire Service Ladies Association (FISLA) has been urged to maintain high professional and moral standards at all times to promote the image of the Service.

Division Officer II, Dora Kwafo, National President of the Association, who made the call in Brong Ahafo, called for greater commitment from the members in order to achieve their aims and objectives.

"FISLA has the core function of bringing all lady officers together while ensuring their welfare, upliftment and unity to propagate the Modus Operandi of the Service", she added.

The national president said this in Sunyani at the inauguration of FISLA regional executives in Brong-Ahafo.

She implored the regional executives to foster good working relations with members by tolerating each others' views to maintain unity at all times.

"To members, please cooperate with your executives and readily offer any assistance they might require from you and not to undermine them. You can criticize them but this must be done constructively", she stated.

Group Officer II Nana Abrafi Appiah, Regional President of the Association said fire women does not only sit in the watch and control rooms, receive calls and dispatch the fire engine, but also joined their male counterparts to the fire scene to fight fire.

"Some are given the opportunity to be district fire officers and others, sectional heads whereby they carry out educational programmes at institutions, organizations and to the general public through the media", she added.

The Regional President urged them not to ensure discipline only at the work place, but they also should also inculcate these good qualities in the training of their children and the nation as a whole.

Division Officer I Paul Opoku, Regional Fire Officer, in an address, read on his behalf, asked the female officers of the Service to be conversant with fire safety issues, most especially Legislative Instrument 1724, which is the fire precaution (premises) regulation 2003.

He observed that research into the cause of domestic fire outbreaks in the region, revealed that most of the fires were caused by women and children.

The Regional Fire Officer, therefore, urged members to sensitize communities, women associations, churches and market women on fire prevention and management.

He said domestic fire in the region reduced from 276 in 2009 to 161 in 2010, and attributed the reduction to fire prevention programmes being embarked upon by the lady officers such as house-to-house and media programmes.

Division Officer I Paul Opoku, urged the Association to draw up training programmes in line with the Department of Women's policy which seeks to make human resource development, one of the pillars to accelerate growth.

Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, appealed to the Fire Service women to foster closer collaboration with civil society organizations to help fight and propel the course of its members.

He said government supports women's empowerment, which the National Democratic Congress Administration has demonstrated by the numerous appointments of women into key government positions.

The Regional Minister advised the members to take advantage of the many educational opportunities available at their work places to improve on their socio-economic status.

He emphasized that government of the National Democratic Congress was to embark on a housing project for the security services of which the Fire Service was included.

He therefore told the Regional Fire Commander to liaise with the Lands Commission for lands to be allocated for the project.

Mr Nyamekye-Marfo pledged the Regional Coordinating Council's support for the welfare of the Association and its activities in mitigating, if not eliminating, the occurrence and incidence of bush fires in the region.