The Vice-president, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, says the government has planned to make the Fire Academy and Training School (FATS) the best centre for training fire-fighters in West Africa in the coming years.
He said apart from constructing modern classroom blocks and accommodation facilities, the government was providing training facilities including simulators for fire fighting and urban search and rescue, to keep firefighters abreast with modern fire-fighting and rescue skills.
Veep has also commissioned infrastructure projects and operational vehicles for the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the Fire Academy and Training School in Accra.
Dr Bawumia commissioned two two-storey dormitory blocks, a two-storey classroom block and a dining hall for the Fire Academy and Training School on Friday, December 23, 2022.
The Vice President also commissioned two hydraulic platforms and a Rapid Intervention Vehicle (RIV) for the Operational use of the Ghana National Fire Service.
Speaking at the event, Dr Bawumia noted that the facilities, fully funded by government, form part of plans by government to resource and help the Ghana National Fire Service to deliver on its mandate more effectively, as well as equip the Fire Academy and Training School to be among the best on the African continent.
“In the coming years, government intends to make the Fire Academy and Training School Africa’s best by providing training facilities such as simulators which comprise of firefighting simulators and urban search and rescue simulators to help keep firefighters abreast with modern firefighting and rescue skills,” Dr Bawumia said.
Dr Bawumia added that the government, through the Interior Ministry and the Fire Service Council, has also acquired plots of land in various parts of the Country to build additional training facilities for the ease and effective training of Serving Fire Officers as well as prospective Fire Officers.
On improvement of personnel for the Service, the Vice President noted that since the coming into office of the NPP Government in 2017, the Ghana National Fire Service has been permitted to recruit in excess of seven thousand (7000) personnel to augment the manpower strength of the Service.
