The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region, has organised a comprehensive educational engagement with Senior High School (SHS) heads, Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), and fuel station managers.
The engagement focused on critical areas of disaster risk reduction, including fire safety standards, medical emergency rescue preparedness, flood prevention, and the importance of constructing fire hydrants.
Mr Wonder Setsoafia Deynu, the NADMO Director at Keta, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA0, said that the participants expressed great satisfaction with the engagement which demonstrated a strong commitment to implementing disaster safety measures within their respective institutions.
“The interactive nature of the session encourages that their will share responsibility and collective action among communities toward safeguarding lives and property,” he said
He explained that some key agreements reached during the engagement include installing fire hydrants at all SHSs and fuel stations, provision of first aid boxes, de-silting gutters, and continuous public education in communities within the area and others.
Mr Deynu emphasised that the stakeholders have pledged and agreed to form Disaster Volunteer Groups in various schools, churches, and all electoral areas in the municipality.
“We appreciate the technical education and professional support from resource persons, including the Keta Municipal Fire Commander and the Keta National Ambulance Service Commander and others who supported the event,” he said.
Mr Deynu said that the engagement reaffirmed the shared belief that disaster prevention is a collective responsibility while working together, staying informed, and acting proactively, would enable communities to significantly reduce disaster risks.
He stated that National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has outlined specific measures to ensure the installation of fire hydrants at all Senior High Schools (SHSs) and fuel stations which would include collaborating with stakeholders, such as the Ghana Water Company, to provide the necessary infrastructure and resources.
Mr Deynu said Disaster Volunteer Groups (DVGs) would be trained and equipped to respond to emergencies through a comprehensive programme while plans recruitment would have contacted as well as training volunteers across the Municipality to focus on basic emergency response skills, including firefighting and water rescue.
He mentioned that to assess the effectiveness of the engagement and implementation of agreed actions, the NADMO would establish a monitoring and evaluation framework which would involve regular reporting, site visits, and feedback mechanisms to track progress and identify areas for improvement.
Mr Lawrence Woedi, the Municipal Fire Commander; Mr Selasi Sepenu, the Ambulance Service Commander and Mr Fedelis Doh, Manager of Ghana Water Company Limited at Anloga and Keta, who also participated in the workshop said the move was a broader strategy to strengthen disaster risk reduction and management in the area.
They pledged to support the NADMO’s initiatives and ensure the implementation of the agreed actions and encouraged communities to stay vigilant and report any disaster risks or concerns to the relevant authorities.
GNA
