Ashanti Fire Command honours Retirees and top serving officers

The Ashanti Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has held a special ceremony to honour retired personnel and outstanding officers still in active service.

The event recognised the dedicated service of retired officers, including Assistant Chief Fire Officer -ACFO Francis Darko-Kono(Rtd), former Operations Officer and ACFO Gladys Denteh(Rtd.), former Officer-in-Charge of Communications.

Also honoured were distinguished officers still in active service, such as Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) Henry Fatai Giwah, former Ashanti Regional Fire Commander and now Director of ICT and Research at GNFS Headquarters in Accra, and ACFO Rasheed Kwame Nisawu, former Deputy Regional Fire Officer in Ashanti and now Greater Accra Regional Fire Commander.

The Honourees received citations, gift boxes and other tokens in appreciation of their service. DCFO Henry Fatai Giwah was particularly celebrated, sweeping over five awards at the event.

Ashanti Regional Fire Commander, ACFO II Peter Tetteh, praised the Retirees for their dedicated service.

“We appreciate your service rendered to the Command. You will be remembered for a long time to come. We will continue to knock on your doors and tap into your rich experience,” he said.

While acknowledging that the Command continues to face logistical constraints, he assured the public that the service is doing everything possible to prevent and manage fire outbreaks in the region.

Fire Cases Decline by 13% in 2025

He disclosed that fire outbreaks in the Ashanti Region have seen a significant drop in 2025 compared to the previous year.“For the first half of 2025, the Regional Command recorded 587 fire outbreaks, as against 674 during the same period in 2024,” he said.

This represents a 13% reduction in fire incidents—a sign of progress in the region’s fire prevention efforts which he described as encouraging.

He added that, in line with the GNFS’s broader prevention strategy, it is now mandatory for all facilities to secure fire insurance before a fire certificate is issued or renewed.ACFO II Tetteh also urged the public to comply with all fire safety guidelines issued by the Service.

Attacks on Fire Officers Persist

Expressing concern, ACFO II Tetteh condemned continued attacks on GNFS officers at fire scenes.“Attacks on our officers who report at fire scenes have not ended entirely.

The latest incident happened at Juaso in June. Fire personnel are there to help, so allow them to work,” he appealed.

He explained that delays in responding are sometimes due to the distance between the fire location and the responding station.“For instance, if a fire occurs in Konongo and the tender comes from Ejisu, it will naturally take some time.”

He stressed that fire outbreaks are largely human-induced.“Fire does not start by itself. It is usually caused by human action—directly or indirectly. We are only here to help, so allow us to do our job.”

Taking his turn, Director of ICT and Research at GNFS Headquarters, DCFO Henry Fatai Giwah, advised officers to understand the philosophy behind their duties.

“Every institution has a philosophy. Don’t just imitate—understand why tasks are done a certain way. Ask questions,” he said.

He encouraged personnel to learn thoroughly and not superficially, adding, “That is the only way to serve meaningfully and avoid being found wanting.”

DCFO Giwah expressed appreciation to the organisers for recognising his service.

“It has been an honour and a profound privilege to serve alongside the men and women of GNFS in this region. Together, we have faced formidable challenges and made significant strides in strengthening fire safety and emergency response in Ashanti.”

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