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The Minister of the Interior, Mark Woyongo, has called on the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to re-strategise to reduce the rising incidence of fire outbreaks in the country. He said although the service had embarked on a series of sensitisation programmes, there was still the urgent need for the public to be well informed about basic fire safety and preventive measures. The minister made the call in a speech read on his behalf by the deputy sector minister, Mr James Agalga, at the ninth Conference of Directors and Regional Commanders of the GNFS in Cape Coast. The three-day conference was on the theme: �Heightening the role of the Ghana National Fire Service in national development.� Public safety The minister observed that the consequences of fire disasters must be a concern to all and therefore called for co-operation and support from the public and other stakeholders towards the GNFS. He said fire stations on highways could also be equipped with specialised rescue tools to respond to any road accident that might occur, and stressed that �this requires effective collaboration with the DVLA and the Police who are major stakeholders in the area of search and rescue.� Mr Woyongo further appealed to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to support the fire service in their operations at their respective communities. He announced that a request for equipment, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which had been submitted by the management of the GNFS was receiving the necessary attention from the ministry. The minister commended the service for initiating action against some institutions and organisations that had flouted fire precaution regulations. Fires The Chief Fire Officer, Dr Albert Brown Gaisie, said the service had recorded about 2,707 fires from May this year to date, resulting in damages of over GH�10 million. �The prime focus of my administration, therefore, is to heighten fire safety education campaign across the nation in order to create more awareness,� he said. The Chairman of the Council of the GNFS, Mr Kennneth Dzirasah, said the service since its establishment had witnessed considerable improvement in its operations. He assured the leadership of the GNFS that the council would formulate policies that would accelerate the improvement in the working environment of the service.