LNFS to recruit 150

The Director of the Liberia National Fire Service Warsuwah Barvoul, has disclosed plan to recruit and train 150 personnel to bolster strength of the LNFS in the wake of UNMIL drawdown.

Director Barvoul said the Bureau has proposed in 2015/2016 fiscal year to train the next batch of 78 recruits in meeting this target. He spoke Thursday, February 4, 2016 during a press briefing at the Ministry of Information in Monrovia.

The fire chief said there were a total of 222 fire outbreak in 2015, and 147 of them occurred in Montserrado County alone with 30 percent of the outbreaks attributed to electrical faults, leading to loss of four lives.

Director Barvoul said the Bureau launched the 2016 Fire Prevention and Awareness program in January, targeting five fire-prone communities in Montserrado, including Clara town, New Kru Town, West Point, Barnersville and Logan Town.

He said the Bureau recorded 17 fire outbreaks in January with six (6) deaths, affecting MKK and Supermarket communities in Gardnersville, along Somalia Drive. He detailed that four (4) residents lost their lives in the MKK community incident as a result of careless handling of Mosquitoes coil, while two children died as a result of an electrical shock in Supermarket.

According to him, rural residents are more responsive to messages of fire prevention than those in Monrovia or Montserrado County. He said in May 2015 the bureau recruited and trained 73 young and energetic Liberians, adding the training was held outside of Montserrado County, at Camp Biago, Sinje, Grand Cape Mount County and subsequently deployed at various fire stations in Montserrado County.

“As a second key component of the UNMIL Drawdown priorities, the LNFS has procured the followings; One JMC pick-up truck for mounting of water skid-unit to fight fires in congested communities; One Nissan 4WD Double-Cabin Pick-up for operational purpose, a 30-seated Nissan Civilian bus for transportation of the fighters to and from duty stations and One 4WD Nissan Patrol Jeep.”

He also said 2,586 occupants were affected by fire incidents in 2015, and an estimated US$2,357,515.00 plus 25,000.OO Liberian dollars’ worth of Property destroyed, among others.

By Ethel A. Tweh-Edited by Jonathan Browne