GNFS launches five-year strategic plan

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) as part of measures to chart a new path, has launched a five-year strategic plan to provide the framework for decision making and operations of the service.

The strategic plan dubbed, ‘Modernisation Agenda’ is aimed at setting an overall goal to modernise the GNFS to ensure the delivery of world class fire and rescue services to the nation.

The plan, which would be implemented between 2019 to 2023, has seven thematic areas with key objectives that the Service wants to enhance to put on the path of accelerated growth.

The areas include human resource development, physical infrastructure development, logistics and equipment, financial resources mobilisation and management, application and use of ICT, emergency situations and response, and institutional governance and management.

Mr Edwin Ekow Blankson, the Chief Fire Officer (CFO), said this was a way to rebrand the institution to bring relief, excitement and hope to distress people involved in any form of emergency situation.

He said the Service was at its crossroad, confronted with realities of technological advancement and the use of sophisticated modern equipment, which have opened the flood gates for fires that needed to be confronted with advanced professional knowledge and techniques.

Mr Blankson said management over the years had laid much emphasis on capacity building and improvement in welfare of personnel, which had enabled a lot of officers to benefit from the overseas training.

“As part of measures to consolidate the gains of the past and chart a new course for the service in the area of human resource development, we are collaborating with a number of institutions both locally and overseas to help train specialists for the service,” he stated.

The CFO said arrangements were far advanced for three officers to pursue MSc programme in Fire Safety Engineering at the University of Central Lancashire on scholarship this year.

“We are also expecting a team of specialist from the United States of America in June this year to train our men on Hazardous Materials Response, tactical fire fighting, fire investigation as well as Technical Fire Report Writing.

We have also signed MoUs with the University of Cape Coast and the University of Energy and Natural Resources and additional initiatives to support the GNFS run other professional programmes,” he said.



Mr Blankson said management was determined to thread a path that would lead the Service to become a modern Emergency Response Institution to the citizenry, however, the plan had huge financial implication, and called on the goodwill and cooperation of stakeholders, collaborators and government to ensure effective implementation.

Reverend Edward Kweku Ashun, the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, giving an overview of the strategic plan, said to ensure the document achieve the desired results, a committee have been put in place to make sure the provisions and proposed interventions were successfully implemented, monitored and evaluated.

Mr Ambrose Dery, the Minister for the Interior, who launched the document, commended the GNFS for the effort put into the preparation of the plan.

He said this was an essential tool which seeks to give direction and serve as a road map for effective performance, which would lead to the attainment of organisational goals and targets.

This goes to clearly demonstrate the commitment of management to drive the service towards world class service delivery.

“It is my humble appeal and prayer that this wonderful and useful document does not end up like others,” he stated.



Mr Dery called on the management and personnel of the Service to lend their support towards the realisation of the goals set and urged Ghanaians to assist the GNFS attain world class status.

He said letters of credit for the purchase of two hydraulic platforms have been established by government and plans were far advanced to procure 2000 Personal protective Equipment for the Service.