FIRE OUTBREAKS DESTROYED GH¢526,550 PROPERTY...In VR in 2008 (PAGE 40)

THE Volta Region recorded a total of 84 fire outbreaks last year resulting in the loss of two lives and destruction of property worth GH¢526,550.
Bush fires topped the list of disasters with 42 incidents, which destroyed property valued at GH¢11,500.
A total of 33 domestic fires caused destruction of property estimated at GH¢186,950 while seven vehicular fires and two electrical fires destroyed various items worth GH¢161,500 and GH¢12,000 respectively.
The Assistant Chief Fire Officer in charge of the Volta Region, Mr Eric Tei-Mensah, made this known at a meeting between the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) , Mr F.K. Ferkah and personnel of the Volta regional fire command in Ho.
Mr Tei- Mensah said there were two deaths involving a 40-year old woman and her three-year-old daughter in Ho.
He spoke of the deplorable state of the fire stations in the region and their equipment.
According to Mr Tei-Mensah, only three out of the 13 fire stations in the region, namely, Hohoe, Ho and Nkwanta had permanent structures while the 10 remaining were on rented premises.
He said with the creation of five more administrative districts in the region, namely Kpeve, Adaklu-Anyigbe, Kpassa, Dambai and Penyi, there was the need to open fire stations in those areas.
The regional fire officer said the staff strength of 306 in the entire region was woefully inadequate.
He noted that staff accommodation was virtually non-existent, adding that the construction of three flats which began in 1986 at the regional headquarters was at a standstill.
Mr Ferkah decried the inability of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) Council to interact with the personnel in the region as it had been doing in the other regions.
He, however, stressed that the new administration would continue to provide the necessary support to enable the service to stand up to its challenges.
Mr Ferkah gave the assurance that the service would take delivery of new fire engines purchased with loans approved by Parliament and the Cabinet.
He reiterated the need for the personnel to intensify fire safety education campaign by going to the churches, mosques, schools and business centres as a measure of minimising the incidence of fire outbreaks in the region.
The chief fire officer emphasised the need for the personnel to sensitise the general public to Fire Precaution Regulation 2003 (LI1724), adding that they must also strive to improve on their internally generated funds targets.
He warned that his administration would not tolerate any acts of indiscipline by any staff member and therefore, urged them not only to work hard, but must also be punctual.
Mr Ferkah commended the personnel in the Volta Region for providing the best squad at the National Extrication Challenge, who later represented the country at the World Extrication Challenge in the United Kingdom in July, last year.
He said their performance was so impressive that it won them a plaque.