KASSEH TO GET FIRE STATION (PAGE 23, JAN 27, 2011)

The Ghana National Fire Service(GNFS) is to establish a fire post at Kasseh Junction to ensure proper handling of accident victims as part of its efforts to reduce the rate of loss of life and property on the Tema –Aflao highway.
The Service is also seeking resources to open another post on the Spintex Road to respond on time to emergencies in the Tema Metropolis .
The Tema Regional Fire Commander, DO1 Gilford Tetteh Adams, who disclosed this in Tema, appealed to corporate bodies to support the effort to help ensure a more effective and better responsive Fire Service.
He also called on the government to quicken the pace of equipping the service to enable it to tackle challenges ahead .
DO1 Adams also called on officers to dedicate themselves to the call of saving lives and property in the year 2011.
He called on the public to promptly report all road crashes to the police and the service for immediate attention .
DO1 Adams disclosed that last year, the GNFS in Tema responded to 35 road collisions, which recorded 150 injuries and 41.
He said the service again responded to 214 fire outbreak which resulted in eight deaths and 10 injuries .
DO1 Adams noted that damage caused as a result of the fire outbreaks was estimated at GH¢1,430,605.00.
Taking stock of the past year, he said the service intensified community fire education in the various communities including Kpone and Tema New Town.
DO1 Adams said the personal contact and community form of education helped to reduce incidents of fire outbreaks in the Tema Metropolis.
He stated that the service was currently faced with new challenges of floods which had begun to inundate parts of the regions indicating that GNFS is rendered incapable due to lack of equipment .
The Tema regional fire commander has as a first step started training a team of divers and swimmers who will need to acquire skills before being deployed for the task .
He said the personnel would need public support in being equipped with life jackets outboard motors, boots among others.
DO1 Adams said another area of concern which posed a challenge to the region is the West African Pipe line which has a terminal in Tema.
He expressed the hope that the government would energise the service to enable it to handle any incident that may occur at the shorelines.