The Ghana National Fire Service is to receive 200 Rapid Intervention Vehicles (RIV) to boost the resource base of the Service in fighting fire.
The Rapid Intervention Vehicle is designed to maneuver through traffic with ease and respond to emergencies in record time. This is expected to greatly improve the response time of the Service to save lives and property.
The Deputy Minister for the Interior, Ms Naana Eyiah, disclosed this at the launch of the Service's 60th anniversary celebration in Accra on the theme: "60 years of existence; the fire safety the choice for a safer environment".
She said the government was committed more than ever to contribute its quota to this all-important cause of ensuring the safety of all and sundry.
She was optimistic that the vehicles would enable the officers to discharge their duties in protecting lives and properties.
Ms Eyiah 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".
The Deputy Minister advised the public to unlearn negative practices and embrace better fire safety practices when carrying on with day-to-day activities in order 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.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, who graced the occasion said his outfit was partnering the fire service to review all construction carried out by the education ministry to avoid any disaster.
"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 have to tell us the right materials for our windows, doors, everything that we have to 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," he said.
Dr Adutwum also made a commitment to build the first primary school to be run by the fire service, to help inculcate the attitude of fire safety in pupils, "show me the land and I am ready to build the school".
He said the government was committed in providing resources, especially school buildings to help provide quality education for all.
