Ho, July 17, GNA - The Volta Regional Office of the Ghana National Fire Service is expected to receive some fire tenders by the close of the year.

Mr Edwin Blankson, Assistant Chief Fire Officer in charge of the Volta Region disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday in response to reports of the lack of a fire tender in the Nkwanta District since 2005. He said the "fire-fighting machine" at the Nkwanta Station was spoilt beyond repairs.

Mr Blankson said the fire tenders at Denu, Kpando and Anloga had all been sent to Accra for repairs and that the one for Kpando would be ready by Friday July 20.

Mr Julius Kwaku Nasser, Nkwanta District Fire Officer told the GNA in an interview that the station had not been able to respond to emergency calls, the recent one being a fire outbreak at the Gateway Hills Resort at Nkwanta, for the lack of a tender.

He said the lack of logistics had compelled the station to limit its activities such as education on fire safety to Nkwanta alone. Mr Nasser said the Nkwanta station with its 10 personnel was too small and limited in handling an area of 4,530 square kilometres made up of 121 communities.

He said the 450-member fire volunteer squad, which could have helped the station had become dormant for the lack of resources and incentives. Mr Nasser said between 1995 and now the District recorded 96 fire cases, 36 of which were domestic and 60 bushfires.

He said the District required a National Ambulance Service given the many accidents that occur there.

Meanwhile, Mr Gershon Gbediame, Member of Parliament for Nkwanta South has called for a new layout for the Nkwanta town to check haphazard development that ignored the old layout.

Mr Gbediame said the new layout would make it easier for corporate bodies and individuals to acquire land for development.

Speaking at the first ordinary meeting of the Nkwanta District Assembly, Mr Gbediame said, such a new layout should be supported by the chiefs of the area given the District's location as a strategic eastern corridor linking the south to the north by the shortest route. Mr Gbediame urged parents and teachers to involve children in the national sanitation crusade.

"When we have hygiene conscious children, we shall have a responsible, new society to take over from us", he said.