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The Ministry of Education will partner with the Ghana National Fire Service to ensure a review of all construction works carried out by the Ministry to avoid any disaster.
Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister of Education, who said this, said the Ministry was also willing to partner with the GNFS to build the first Fire Primary School to be operated by the service, to help inculcate the attitude of fire safety in pupils.
“We want them to inspect and review all drawings and to tell us if there is any problem with the building, we are putting up so that we can correct them as soon as possible,”
“They must tell us about the right materials for our windows, doors, everything that we must do to protect the life of our children is something that should be of concern to us and the experts at the fire service are so determined to help us,” Dr Adutwum said.
The Minister gave the assurance at the launch of the 2023 Fire Safety Educational Campaign in connection with the 60th anniversary in Accra on the theme; “60 Years of Existence: Fire Safety, the Choice for a Safer Environment.”
Dr Adutwum assured that the government was committed to providing resources, especially school buildings, to help provide quality education for all.
He urged the GNFS to make available land for the construction of the school, adding “We can do more together to ensure that we protect assets and save lives in this country.”
Fire Safety Week, which is celebrated annually, seeks to create the needed awareness on fire safety in the country.
Ms. Naana Eyiah, the Deputy Minister of Interior, speaking at the event, said the government was committed more than ever to contributing its quota in ensuring the safety of all and sundry in the country.
“In effect, the Ghana National Fire Service is set to take delivery of over Two Hundred (200) Rapid Intervention Vehicles to boost the resource base of the Service,” she said
Ms Eyiah said the Rapid Intervention Vehicles had been designed to manoeuvre through traffic with ease and respond to emergencies in record time.
“This is expected to improve the response time of the Service to save lives and property.
She encouraged firefighters to keep up with the good work, “Your service to this nation is at the heart of the well-being of citizens and the developing agenda of the country.”
Ms. Eyiah advised the public to unlearn negative practices and embrace better fire safety practices when carrying out their day-to-day activities to eliminate the effects of fire on lives and livelihoods.
“We must be guided by the bitter lessons taught us by fire outbreaks in this country. We have lost precious lives and huge amounts of resources and we cannot afford to continue in the same way if we desire different results,” she said .
Mr. Julius Kuunour, the Chief Fire Officer (CFO), giving fire statistics for the first half of 2023, said it was crucial to reflect on the importance of fire safety education and preparedness.
“It is not enough to simply react to fires; we must proactively work together towards preventing fires in our various homes, offices, workplaces, and communities as fire prevention and management is not only a shared responsibility but a civic responsibility,” he said.
CFO Kuunuor said it was a proven fact that educating children, pupils, and students about Fire Safety could make a life-saving difference, adding that they were able to save themselves, parents, teachers, and others during fire emergencies.
He noted that the call by the Education Minister was in the right direction as the Service intended to partner with Educational Institutions to train pupils and students in Fire Safety and form Fire Safety Brigades.
“We believe with this idea of “Catch them Young”, our pupils and students will be able to transfer the knowledge acquired to their teachers, parents, and communities.”
This would ensure effective monitoring to prevent fire outbreaks and related incidents in the schools, homes, markets, churches/mosques, and wherever they find themselves to be,” he stated.
The CFO said to empower citizens with knowledge and resources, the Service was committed to enhancing fire safety infrastructure, improving emergency response capabilities, and expanding public outreach programmes.
He advised the public to take this year’s fire safety week as an opportunity to renew their commitment to fire safety.
Some of the activities outlined for the week include media engagement, a quiz, a meeting with district assembly and market leaders, an inspection of national installations, a mini conference, a simulation exercise, market education, meeting with operators of event centers, clubhouses, drinking spots, night clubs and fire safety education in churches across all regions.
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