The western district of Sissala has a fire station

Regional news for Friday, October 16, 2020

Source: GNA

2020-10-16

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has commissioned a fire station for the Sissala West district in the Upper West region as part of efforts to curb wildfires and fire-related disasters in the area.

In addition, 73 volunteer firefighters, comprising 71 men and two women, drawn from communities in the District, were trained to help increase firefighter efforts to increase service delivery.

The Sissala West District Assembly built the facility while GNFS provided the staffing and fire tendering.

Speaking at the commissioning of the facilities in Gwollu, Amidu Ishaque Chinia, Regional Vice Minister of the High West, said that poor maintenance of state property was negatively affecting the nation.

Therefore, he pleaded with the GNFS and the Sissala West District Assembly to maintain the facility to ensure it delivered the necessary results.

While appealing to the District Assembly to support firefighter volunteers to do their best, he urged firefighter volunteers to show the utmost commitment and diligence in their work.

He urged the two remaining districts, Wa West and Wa East, to emulate the Sissala West District by building fire stations.

DOI Abraham Nii Dodoo, the acting Upper West regional commander for the GNFS, expressed the hope that the fire station will help control fires and reduce such disasters in the area.

“Article 5 of Law 229 of the PNDC also obliges all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to institute Subcommittees for Forest Fire Control, which will regulate the burning of vegetation within their jurisdictions,” he explained.

The Fire Commander, therefore, urged the MMDAs to comply with that mandate to help reduce the occurrences and adverse effects of wildfires.

DOI Dodoo stated that preventing wildfires and fire-related disasters was a collective responsibility, hence the need for everyone to get down to work to combat the threat.

He observed that the idea of ​​fire volunteering, which was a legal provision, was not effective due to the lack of motivation of the volunteers.

However, he said that it was the responsibility of the GNFS to train the firefighter volunteers, but that the MMDAs had a mandate to motivate them and provide the necessary logistics to work.

Mr. Mustapha Ahmed, Upper West Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), highlighted the need for Assembly members and traditional authorities to support NADMO and GNFS in fighting fires in the district.

He said the fire disaster was man-made and could be prevented, citing as an example the Nandom district, where in 2018, 2019 and 2020 no fire disaster was recorded and similarly in Lawra Township due to activism from traditional authorities.

Abubakari Musah, Sissala West District Coordinating Director, said the Assembly had provided accommodation for some members of the fire station staff and assured them that they would continue to support them in carrying out their duties.