The exercises equipped traders, business operators, and individuals with vital firefighting skills
As part of ongoing efforts to ensure fire safety across various facilities, Youth and Women Empowerment (YOWE), an NGO based in Lower Manya Krobo in the Eastern Region, in partnership with the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly, has taken proactive steps to educate residents, particularly market women in the Agomanya market, on essential fire safety measures.
The sensitization exercise, held within the market, brought together traders, business operators, and individuals, aiming to equip the community with the knowledge and skills needed to prevent fire outbreaks and respond effectively to emergencies.
The training formed part of regular engagements by the GNFS with market women, domestic households, and the larger community on fire safety to reduce incidents of fire outbreaks.
YOWE, as part of its mandate, facilitated the training, which is part of an 18-month-long phase two of its Action for Voice, Influence, and Inclusive Development (AVID-2) Project.
The project, implemented with sponsorship from the STAR-Ghana Foundation, aims to train various groups to empower them with the requisite knowledge and skills to enhance their businesses.
The engagement with market women and community members is part of a strategic plan designed to ensure fire safety and avert outbreaks in the market, homes, and other business facilities.
The campaign focused on several key areas, including the proper handling of domestic gas cylinders, common causes of fires, fire classifications, appropriate extinguishing methods, and emergency contact procedures.
To avoid domestic and market fires, participants were encouraged to avoid setting fires and preparing meals in the market, which exposes the facility to the risk of fire outbreaks.
The team demonstrated effective domestic firefighting techniques and urged participants to ensure they have fire extinguishers at home to tackle blazes in times of outbreaks.
Station Officer Two Larbi Eric of the Kpong Fire Station, who led a team from the GNFS to conduct the training, expressed satisfaction with the impact of the activities while underscoring the importance of the demonstration.
He added that participants demonstrated the ability to effectively handle fires in case of outbreaks until the arrival of fire personnel. He said, “We undertook a demonstration to ensure that they understood what we taught them, and we’re happy they were able to do exactly what they learned. This means they’ll be able to do this in their homes.”
Explaining the various procedures to extinguish fires, he noted, “Not every fire is quenched with water; there are several ways to put out a fire, some requiring that you take out certain elements from the fire.”
He urged participants to strictly adhere to what they learned at the training to ensure they stay safe from fire outbreaks and keep their homes and businesses safe.
One of the traders, Mr William Bodua, who represented the leadership of the market management team, expressed satisfaction with the training, adding that it exposed them to all the safety requirements to ensure the market stays safe for all.
He was hopeful that the traders and other participants would adhere to what they learned to ensure that the market and the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality remain free from fire outbreaks.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Lower Manya Krobo, Hon John Atter Matey, who was present at the event, lauded the market women for ensuring that the market had been free from fires over the past decades.
He urged participants to apply the knowledge acquired to their own benefit and that of the market.
The Assembly chief called on the organizers to ensure that traders are enlightened on the need to acquire fire insurance to ensure they are covered in times of fire disasters.
