Effiakuma (W/R), Oct 16, GNA – A Joint Simulation exercise has been mounted by personnel from the security agencies as part of activities to climax International Disaster, Risk Reduction Day at Effiakuma in the Effia-Kwesimintim Municipality.
The security agencies included; Ghana Fire Service, Ambulance Service, the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS) and NADMO at the Effia-Kwesimintim Municipal Assembly (EKMA)
The day which was graced by a cross section of market women, personnel from the Ghana Progressive Road Union (GPRTU), the Progressive Road Transport Association (PROTOA), the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) sought to sensitize Stakeholders on how to prevent and management disasters around the globe in the quest to build a resilient economy and society.
As part of activities marking the day, 25 schools and churches in the Municipality were Sensitized on climate change by NADMO officials.
In an address, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr.Kojo Acquah affirmed a solid resolve of the Assembly to assist NADMO, Fire Service, Police Service and Red Cross Society to safeguard disaster.
He recalled that the area used to be plagued by disasters such as flooding, fire outbreak but under his tenure, 60-70 percent of disasters such as flooding were solved.
This, he said, became possible due to the desilting of choked gutters and expansion of narrow and shallow culverts.
Mr.Acquah advised residents in the area of fire outbreaks and their resolve to ward off disasters
The Municipal NADMO Director at EKMA, Mr.Henry Koufie said NADMO called for education to reduce risks and NADMO would intensify measures to avoid disasters in the area.
An Assistant Senior Disaster Control Officer, from the Ghana National Fire Service, Madam Ruth Yankey said ignorance was a major cause of fire outbreaks and mentioned gas cylinders, gas stoves and electrical appliances of which people should be sensitive in using them to avert fire disasters.
She said many people did not quench fire properly thereby resulting in fire outbreaks.
Police Chief Inspector Ampofo Adjei of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) who observed that road accidents were claiming more lives than COVID-19, said 18,187 people lost their lives through road carnage between January and September 2020 in the country.
He identified the causes of road accidents as poor nature of roads, careless driving, lack of road signs to guide motorists, drunk driving, speeding and aggressive driving.
The others are; lack of education, wrongful overtaking especially in curves and defective vehicles and appealed to motorists to ensure that their vehicles were regularly maintained.
GNA