Insurance Commission pledges support for Fire Service

The Commissioner of Insurance, Miss Lydia Lariba Bawa, has assured the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) that the insurance industry will continue to support the service in the performance of its national assignments.

She said the GNFS played a major role in preventing and fighting fire outbreaks, and thereby saving insurance companies from paying huge claims.

Miss Bawa gave the assurance when Dr Albert Brown Gaisie, the Chief Fire Officer, paid a courtesy call on her and also to seek collaboration between the two institutions in Accra

Miss Bawa called on the GNFS to begin investigative training on fire outbreaks, since insurance companies depended on the Fire Service for causes of fire outbreaks before claims were paid. 

"Preventing fire outbreaks is paramount to the insurance industry, since it helps companies to pay less claims, or no claims at all,” she said.

She asked for continued support from the GNFS with regard to the commission's policy on ensuring compulsory fire insurance on private commercial buildings. 

The commission, GNFS and the Ghana Police Service have joined hands to form a national task force to ensure that property owners take insurance policy to protect third parties against collapse of building and other perils.

GNFS

Responding, the National Chief Fire Officer said the service had commenced a fire safety management education to reduce fire outbreaks, explaining that the recent upsurge of fire outbreaks in the country had huge impact on the resources of the service and, therefore, called on other institutions for assistance.