GNFS appeals to corporate Ghana for support

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) on Monday appealed to corporate Ghana to support the 2019/2020 anti-bushfires campaign, which seeks to galvanise public support in the fight against illegal bushfires across the country.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) Robert Semekor Fiadzo, GNFS Director in Charge of Rural Fires told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that Ghanaians must come together to fight illegal fires, “GNFS cannot fight illegal fires alone, we need the support of corporate Ghana to win the battle and protect the Ghanaian territorial integrity”.

He identified some of the items needed for the campaign as: Wellington and Combat Boots, Fire Beaters, Cutlasses, Nose Guards, Motor Bikes and Bicycles, Torchlights, Overall wears, Megaphones, and Whistles, and appealed to corporate institutions to support either in kind or in cash.

DCFO Fiadzo appealed to institutions and the corporate world to come on-board the 2019/2020 National Anti-Bushfires Campaign and consider the fight as Corporate Social Responsibility project as bushfires; “is not only destroying the habitation, but our survival is at stake. We are all at risk with rate of destruction of our vegetation.

“We are therefore appealing to all Ghanaians to join the fight against illegal fires. Traditional Leaders must protect their lands against bushfires. We are all involved hence the theme, “My Environment, My Life: Stop Bushfires Now!

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer who is also the chairman of the 2019/2020 National Anti-Bushfires Campaign, said “our doors are opened wide for the support. You can donate at National, Regional and District Offices of the GNFS or call there personally and we will pick the items up whilst cheques should be written in the name of the Ghana National Fire Service.

He said the 2019/2020 Anti-Bushfires Campaign blueprint was aimed at reducing the indiscriminate bush burning that affected the environment, economic activities, social and cultural practices.

He said GNFS was revamping the Fire Volunteer Corps, equiping them with resources, which would be mobilised to empower them to be vanguards of the anti-bushfires campaign.

DCFO Fiadzo explained that the 2019/2020 Anti-bushfires campaign blueprint is built on the general theme: “My Environment, My Life: Stop Bushfires Now! Would mainly use community radio programmes, community durbars, volunteer and peer education, door-to-door messages.

Chiefs and Queenmothers would also be roped in the campaign to protect the lands under their jurisdiction.Religious Leaders, are being tasked within the blueprint to also preach on the negative impact of illegal fires especially as we enter into the dry season, whilst school children would also be educated and deployed as Anti-Bushfires environmental ambassadors.

The GNFS Command, supported by the National Anti-Bushfires Campaign Committee and the Ministry of the Interior would launch the blueprint on October 11, in the Volta Region.

He explained that currently the committee was engaging companies, oil marketing companies, players in the agricultural value chain financial institutions and other stakeholders to mobilise resources for the campaign.