Former US Military Chaplain calls for dissolution of fire service, urges military takeover

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• Know your boundaries 9 months ago

  Perfectly agree

  Perfectly agree

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• Logorligi 9 months ago

  This man who claims to have been a chaplain in the US military must be an impostor. Anybody who has undergone any measure of work experience in any developed society, is forced, by the prevailing order and circumstances of su ...
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  This man who claims to have been a chaplain in the US military must be an impostor. Anybody who has undergone any measure of work experience in any developed society, is forced, by the prevailing order and circumstances of such societies, to become productive-minded, sensible and acquire a problem solving initiative to issues - no matter what level of education one has had or, has not had. This so-called chaplain does not show any signs of either.
  
  Anybody with just a little bit of common sense - even though rare in this part of the world, ought to know that the source of the problems of the Fire Service - as is same in all other SOEs, is bad - simply terrible governance. The establishment of the institution of the Fire Service in this country appears to have been only for the purposes of complying to the needs of modern govt infrastructure. Period. Nothing more than that. Beyond that, the govt doesn't take the Fire Service serious at all, apart from that organization serving as a dumping ground for foot soldiers of cheap politicians. Even the hierarchy of the Fire Service does not take itself serious. Look at the way the weak new head of that organization abandoned her men of the Service in their moment of crisis, to fawn over the bullying antics of the Ashanti Regional Minister when she knows damn well that her organization does not have the means, the political support nor the most basic tools to deal with any serious fire in this country. And in the knowledge of all these deficiencies setbacks and institutional abuse from the Regional Minister, she actually apologized to him when the apology should have rather come from him. But well, this is the Third World.
  
  This is a country where Local Govt has conspired with the free-for-all rural-urban drift to make our markets the most unhygienic, the most combustible and the most inaccessible areas when it comes to dealing with fires. This is a country where most of its citizens do not even have access to water for personal use - much more, water to fight fires in the disorderly, unplanned or badly planned scenarios of our diabolically chaotic urban markets.
  
  Again, this is a country where as recently as the year 2025, educated clowns proudly show-off a newly built 22 floors high mini "skyscraper" ready for occupation when they damn well know that in case of a fire, the $240 million edifice will simply burn down to ashes without any useful intervention by an ill-equiped demoralized Fire Service that is obviously, and therefore, not sufficiently trained to fight fires in even five-storey buildings. And by the way, if I may ask, did this $240 million structure acquire the necessary official certificate of approval from the Ghana Fire Service - and ultimately, a building permit from the city authorities.

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• Markito 9 months ago

  @logorligi so because the fire service may not have the capacity to fight fires on a 'skyscraper', we shouldn't build a skyscraper? If we're able to fund a 240 million dollar 'skyscraper', it'd surely have some basic fire fi ...
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  @logorligi so because the fire service may not have the capacity to fight fires on a 'skyscraper', we shouldn't build a skyscraper? If we're able to fund a 240 million dollar 'skyscraper', it'd surely have some basic fire fighting equipment, or we've the means to provide such facility for the fire service
  
  Now if you're seeing weaknesses in the fire service like all of us, then we'd need the military to run the service like the old minister is saying . If the fire boss can't use his good offices, in the absence of govt support to 'beg' for funds from the many rich private people around to help the service, then he's not fit for purpose

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• Nzema k- TURN KETA INTO CITY ON THE SEA 9 months ago

  Daddy you are on point.

  Daddy you are on point.

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• Mike O 9 months ago

  I seriously disagree with your assertions sir. Just take a look at the operations of the fire service and you would realise their difficulties. The last time the Fire service saw a serious retooled with fire tenders was sever ...
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  I seriously disagree with your assertions sir. Just take a look at the operations of the fire service and you would realise their difficulties. The last time the Fire service saw a serious retooled with fire tenders was several years ago under Professor Mills and JM Mahama. That was when we saw tenders with turn-tables (few). Check the operational ages and ability if such equipment today. At Adum Kumasi recently had the service deployed even two efficient turn-tables, the damage and loss suffered would have been to the minimum. In this case, can we blame the service and its personnel? The answer is negative. I concede, however that we have a few misfits in that service but that is what we get with the type of recruitment regime we employ in Ghana A serious reset is needed in that direction as well. Let's all resolve to comprehensively resource the service including modern training and retraining schemes and turn the service around. We can do it. I encourage the current govt to look at that department. They have done it before and I know they will deliver.

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• Haruna 8 months ago

  I agree with you my brother, you disagreed with author without any insult.
  We should all learn to respect other people's view.

  I agree with you my brother, you disagreed with author without any insult.
  We should all learn to respect other people's view.

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• Ghanaba 9 months ago

  My colleague old man please fire fighting is not an easy job and calling for the dissolution of the service is wrong
  We have fighting fire in a confined space and open space and all is not easy
  U need to carefully plan the ...
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  My colleague old man please fire fighting is not an easy job and calling for the dissolution of the service is wrong
  We have fighting fire in a confined space and open space and all is not easy
  U need to carefully plan the action before during and after the operation even us and some of the developed countries took longer to fight fire outbreaks with devastating effects
  Tell us please with ur service in the us military wat we’re some of the things u found were available to fight fire
  Please enjoy ur pension and tell us things u saw
  Do we have any water reservoir dededicated to fighting fire the service is tired of some of these suggestions

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• Adowa 9 months ago

  The military also has its own challenges.We should always thank God that we do not disturbances from threats like militant groups and the likes. Go to our neighboring countries like Mali,Niger,Burkina and Nigeria and see how ...
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  The military also has its own challenges.We should always thank God that we do not disturbances from threats like militant groups and the likes. Go to our neighboring countries like Mali,Niger,Burkina and Nigeria and see how their militaries are struggling to contain extreme religious groups due mainly to inadequate ammunitions to fight. So without adequate and correct tools for the job you can’t deliver to satisfaction and it applies everywhere.

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• Citizen 9 months ago

  How competent and disciplined is GAF that he is talking about. How have they been tested in this country by way of war and the defense of borders of Ghana. They are rather the institution that is less productive yet more re ...
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  How competent and disciplined is GAF that he is talking about. How have they been tested in this country by way of war and the defense of borders of Ghana. They are rather the institution that is less productive yet more resourced to dress up roaming in the barracks and all over the place and some cases when called to duties such as Bawku and many others, they turn the citizens to their enemies killing and brutalizing them. Some personnel of Fire Service obviously wouldn't be up to the task but largely to whom much is given much is expected. We see and hear equipment procured for the Police, Military Immigration and so on but neglect Fire Service as they don't matter however, fires occur everyday across the country. Over ten years without buying a single fire tender as a country unacceptable. Manhyia, KMA and KATH fire stations were the closest stations to Kajetia/Adum but I understand were all broken down before the Adum fire so you can imagine.

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• Sureman 9 months ago

  The military has not been able to stop Bawku conflict and others all over the country should we abolish them? Arm rubbery everywhere in Ghana should we abolish the police?
  The people don't have the tools to fight the fire a ...
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  The military has not been able to stop Bawku conflict and others all over the country should we abolish them? Arm rubbery everywhere in Ghana should we abolish the police?
  The people don't have the tools to fight the fire and you are not talking of that instead, you say they should abolish them.
  The politicans select their families into the service leaving the qualified ones you're not talking of it. Enjoy your retirement ooo

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• it is too late seriously have agree with the submission. Mr President please consider the submission seriously. TheFire Service is only wasting resources without any appreciable services in times of need The MILITARYshould over immediately before. 9 months ago

  I agree seriously with the submission. Mr President please consider the submission seriously and immediately take action. Tha Fire Service has totally failed us. Please act quickly before it's too late. We trust you can ch ...
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  I agree seriously with the submission. Mr President please consider the submission seriously and immediately take action. Tha Fire Service has totally failed us. Please act quickly before it's too late. We trust you can change the narrative for the better. The fire service is only wasting the hard-earned resources of the nation. For now they a liability not an asset

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• Chai!!! 9 months ago

  We need a military takeover everywhere.

  We need a military takeover everywhere.

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• I support 9 months ago

  I support such idea, the military by their military training g are discipline and work with time which can safe lives and properties.

  I support such idea, the military by their military training g are discipline and work with time which can safe lives and properties.

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• Life 9 months ago

  I concur,I support,I agree with his suggestion, integrate the fire service with the military being a separate department specialized in emergency response coordination with nadmo simple.one advantage is all access routes, loc ...
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  I concur,I support,I agree with his suggestion, integrate the fire service with the military being a separate department specialized in emergency response coordination with nadmo simple.one advantage is all access routes, locations of fire hydrants will be cleared asap, begin functioning in less than a week, if this is implimemted.excellent suggestion.

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