The Ashaiman Division of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has undertaken its maiden blood donation exercise to check the health status of service personnel and help restock the blood bank at the Tema General Hospital.
The GNFS undertook the exercise in collaboration with Tema General Hospital and Sinai Hospital.
The Ashaiman Fire Station Divisional Officer, DO II Ebenezer Yenzu said, as part of their mandate as fire service, they attend to emergency scenes that involve fatalities and noted that sometimes the injured need blood to survive.
Stressing that the initiative was in line with the GNFS motor which states “service with compassion we seek to prevent and manage undesired fires, thereby reducing loss of lives and property by enforcement of fire safety measures in national strategic installations and responding promptly to fire disasters.
He said due to the time schedules of firefighters, they find it difficult to have full medical screening, therefore, the exercise was also to give the firefighters the direction to seek medical attention.
He stressed that the activity was also intended to check the health status of the personnel because they are exposed to many hazardous clouds of smoke in their line of duty.
DO II Yenzu revealed that on countless occasions, personals inhale harmful substances when fighting fire, and their bodies also react to the heat they come in contact with.
Some of the personnel in an interview described the exercise as the first of its kind in the fire service and will serve as the blueprint for other stations when they want to engage in similar social responsibility.
The Ashaiman GNFS Divisional Officers encouraged other service stations across the country and colleague firefighters to seize the opportunity to help save human lives.
The Ashaiman GNFS said the exercise was an experimental one and there are plans in place to replicate it across other commands.
