Charlottesville fire department donates fire truck to Winneba fire service

The Ghana Fire Service in Winneba in the Central Region of Ghana has received a firefighting truck from the Charlottesville Fire Department in Virginia, USA.

The donation of the Pierce Quantum Fire Truck was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Charlottesville Sister Cities Commission, Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation, and the Fire Department of Charlottesville.

Presenting the truck to the Ghana Fire Service in Winneba, the President of the Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation, Nana Akyeampong Ghartey, disclosed that there had been exchanges of ideas between the Charlottesville Fire Department and the Winneba Fire Service and that some fire officers from Charlottesville visited Winneba to undertake a series of fire risk assessment with their counterparts in Winneba.

He added that during the fire risk assessment, it was observed that the Winneba Fire Service facility played a significant role in the protection of life and property due to its strategic location along the Accra-Takoradi Highway and that there was the need for the Winneba Fire Service to be equipped with a firefighting truck.

Nana Ghartey continued that based on this recommendation, the Charlottesville Fire Department offered to donate a Pierce Quantum Fire Truck to the Winneba Fire Service through the Charlottesville Sister Cities Commission, and the Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation.

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Effutu Municipal Assembly, Alhaji Zabair Kassim, expressed his gratitude to the Charlottesville Sister Cities Commission, the Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation, and the Charlottesville Fire Department for such a wonderful gesture to the Ghana Fire Service in Winneba, and noted that the fire truck would not only serve Winneba but the Effutu Municipal area and the surrounding communities.

The MCE traced the relationship between Charlottesville and Winneba as far back as 2009/2010 and stated that the donation of the truck was a constant reminder of the friendship between Charlottesville and Winneba and the continuous generosity of Charlottesville which has also enriched the educational, cultural, social, and economic lives of both communities.

He urged the Winneba Fire Service to put the fire truck to good use so that other departments and agencies in the municipality would also benefit from support through the Charlottesville-Winneba sister city relationship.

The Mayor of the City of Charlottesville, Lloyd Snook, reiterated that Charlottesville's sister city relationship with Winneba is an important program and that the people of Charlottesville are delighted to be of assistance to the people of Winneba.

“May this fire truck continue to be of service to you as it has been in the past”, Mayor Snook added.

The Paramount Chief of the Effutu Traditional area, Oma Odefe Neenyi Ghartey VII, stated that he was celebrating the relationship between Charlottesville and Winneba for continuing to support social interventions in Winneba which included supporting educational and health facilities, the Police, and now the Ghana Fire Service.

The Paramount Chief implored the Winneba Fire Service personnel to make their presence to be felt everywhere to serve the people of Effutu and the surrounding communities.

Neenyi Ghartey advocated for a foundation to serve as protection and insurance for Fire Service personnel when they get injured or become incapacitated during the performance of their duty.

The fire truck named after the late King Ghartey IV was received by the Central Regional Fire Commander, ACFO1 John Amartey, on behalf of the Ghana Fire Service and the Winneba Fire Station.

The Regional Fire Commander stated that the Chief Fire Officer and the Ghana National Fire Service would forever be grateful to the Charlottesville Fire Department, and all individuals and organizations who made it possible for the firefighting truck to be donated to the Winneba Fire Station.

He gave the assurance that the Fire Service officers in Winneba would continue to perform their duties professionally and put the truck to good use to serve the people of Effutuman.

Certain individuals were also acknowledged for their generous support in making it possible for the fire truck to be shipped from Charlottesville to Winneba. They included Nana Bibo Asomani-Nyarko, Dr. Clifton Latting, Mr. Michael Osteen and Ms. Jeanine Braithwaite.