AKOSOMBO FIRE STATION CRIES FOR FIRE TENDER (PAGE 20)

ANY fire outbreak at Akosombo and its environs, where strategic industries in the country are located, could be disastrous as the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) station in the town does not have a single functioning fire engine.
The only fire engine at the station broke down many years ago and has since not been repaired.
The Eastern Regional Fire Officer, Mr Edwin Blankson expressed the concern when the Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo paid a working visit to the Akosombo fire station to acquaint himself with the challenges facing the personnel.
He appealed to the government to as a matter of urgency resource the station with fire engines and other logistics as early as possible to enable the personnel of the service to professionally respond to any fire outbreaks in the area.
“If the government fails to resource us, we will find ourselves incapable of effectively fighting fire outbreaks at strategic industries such as the Volta River Authority (VRA), the Mama Water Depot and the Akosombo and the Juapong Textile factories”, Mr Blankson stressed.
Mr Blankson stated that since the only fire engine at the station broke down some months ago, all efforts to have it repaired or replaced had proved futile.
He said apart from the lack of a fire engine, the station did not also have the needed equipment to enable it respond to emergency situations such as accidents.
“Since we do not have a vehicle and other rescuing devices to reach and rescue victims of accidents, we find ourselves less helpful whenever accidents cases are reported to us”, the regional fire officer lamented.
According to him, all efforts to have their concerns addressed had proved unsuccessful in the past.
In his reaction, Mr Ofosu Ampofo expressed the preparedness of the government and the district assembly to help address the problem.
He appealed to the various industries located at Akosombo and its environs such as the VRA, TOR, the Akosombo Textiles Limited and the Juapong Textiles to go to the aid of the GNFS in the area.