?20 Fire Service Personnel ?in Malta for Training

A total of 20 Fire Service personnel departed Accra at the weekend for Malta to commence a one-week training programme aimed at building their capacities.

They are the first of two batches, comprising 40 officers, who are scheduled for the European country this month and September this year to partake in the programme.

As part of their final preparation stage, the group, led by the Chief Fire Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Edwin Ekow Blankson and the Maltese Ambassador to Ghana, Jean Claude Malia Galea, paid a courtesy call on the Minister of the Interior, Ambrose Dery, in Accra.

Mr Dery reiterated government's commitment to improve the conditions of service of all security services in the country.

Presently, he said the Minister of Finance has given financial clearance for the Service to purchase two new hydraulic platforms and personal protective equipment.

The minister also entreated the officers to give off their best to project the image of the Service and Ghana as a whole.

In his remarks, Mr Galea said Malta would continue to strengthen its relationship with Ghana to promote cooperation for mutual benefits.

He said the participation of the firefighters in the training programme was as a result of cooperation with the Maltese private sector and asked them to "take this opportunity and learn from Malta".

Mr Blankson in his remark stated that regional and gender balance was followed throughout the selection process stating that "10 males and 10 females making 20 officers thus representing almost all the operational regions in the country were selected for this programme".

The team, he said, has undergone three weeks training at the Fire Academy and Training School (FATS) and a rigid top up training programme at the Ghana Civil Aviation Fire Training Facility.

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