By Ralph Sesay
The Chief Officer of the National Fire Force, Chief Nazir Ahmed Alie Kamanda Bongay, has, in an exclusive interview with nightwatch press, damned his critics and praised efforts by the New Direction administration to resurrect the Fire Service, which, he noted, is in a very deplorable state.
Mr. Kamanda Bongay noted that, in late 2017, he received a confirmation from the Ministry of Finance to recruit 200 personnel. This is because his institution was facing lower personnel strength.
The Chief Officer continued that, due to the capacity of his training school, the recruitment was phased out and an initial one hundred personnel were trained, but up to press time he had struggled with the relevant ministries to get these fire officers to be factored into the civil service payroll.
He appealed to the authorities concerned to come to the aid of these 100 fire fighters, who are currently starving with their family members.
The Chief Fire Officer heaped praises on the new government for resurrecting the institution with regular rice supplies, uniforms and boots as well as plasma TV and refrigerators for all offices at the headquarters.
Mr. Kamanda Bongay noted that the service is currently in Bo, Kenema, Makeni, Kambia, Kono and Sima Town in Waterloo. He added that the 2019 budget has allocated over Le21 billion to the service to further procure four more fire engines that will be added to the eighteen the service already have.
“We are moving towards establishing four more fire stations in Pujehun, Kailahun, Kabala and Western Area Rural in the next coming years,” Mr. Bongay noted.
The Chief Officer also took the opportunity to intimate the press about the support they have received from National Petroleum Company towards building submersible water facilities with over 12,000 litres at the Fire Service headquarters. This will be to mainly address the herculean task of available water in some of the water hydrants within the city. A similar facility, he went on, will be installed at Kissy and other areas.
It will be recalled that the National Fire Service has remained the most marginalised sector within the country’s security arrangements, with very poor equipment and dilapidated facilities across the country.
Mr. Kamanda Bongay joined the service in the early 90s and rose through the ranks to attain the position of Chief Fire Officer some six to seven years ago. He is on record to have transformed the sector from the Freetown Fire Brigade to the National Fire Force, with presence in most areas in the country. He is hopeful that the institution will attain a higher height in the New Direction Government with over 100% increase budgetary support to the institution.
As Chief Fire Officer Damns Critics… New Direction Resurrects NFF
