A decade of duty: First Commander recounts the unexpected birth of Ministries Fire Station

The Ministries Fire Station in Accra has marked a decade of dedicated service with a heartfelt 10th anniversary thanksgiving service, revealing a remarkable journey of transformation, leadership, and unexpected beginnings.

The celebration, held at the station, brought together past and present personnel, dignitaries, and community partners to reflect on a legacy that began with a simple list that almost derailed a future commander’s career.

The highlight of the event was a candid and humorous history delivered by the station’s first District Commander, ACFO II Rev. Naomi Ofori Adubea Sarpong. Now the Bono East Regional Fire Commander, she took the audience back to 2015, when she was a Watch Room and Control Room officer at the Accra City Metro Fire Station.

Recounting the events leading to the station’s creation, ACFO II Sarpong revealed that she was tasked by her then Deputy Regional Commander, ACFO Veronica Komey, to select about 20 personnel for a new, unnamed fire station. Unaware that she was choosing her own team, she admitted to making a questionable selection.

“I did not know I would be the DFO to head that station. So, to be frank, I selected mostly the sportsmen and women and habitual latecomers who were always away for games and not punctual to work. I selected the most vulnerable persons,” she confessed.

Her superior immediately saw through the plan. “Adubea, I know the people you have selected; what kind of selection is that? Does it mean you want the DFO who will lead them to suffer?” she recalled Madam Vero asking.

The twist came a week before the station’s commissioning when the Regional Fire Commander, DCFO Ebenezer Simpson, called her to his office and broke the news that she was the chosen leader. “I was down and became very sad, because I knew what I had done. Then I understood the proverb that says, whoever cooks a pot of poison must be the first to taste the broth,” she said, to laughter from the audience.

Despite the inauspicious start, ACFO II Sarpong and her team, which later included ADO II William Sackey, turned the station into a model of excellence. Her leadership philosophy was simple: foster unity and continuous improvement.

“In no time, Ministries Fire Station became the number one station in Accra,” she proudly stated. “I tasked those who were good to teach the weak, and the weak also studied the best ones.”

Her tenure, which lasted about six years, was marked by a strong emphasis on fire prevention and safety. The station organised regular training for staff in various ministries, hotels, and schools, significantly raising awareness of fire hazards. Her efforts were so impactful that Nana Dwamena, the Head of the Office of the Head of Civil Service, “took us as his own, organised parties for us, and appreciated me.”

She also established a District Welfare scheme, which is still in operation today, providing loans and end-of-month provisions for personnel. She acknowledged key personalities who helped her succeed, including ADO I Daniel Parry, StnO Ali Awombadec, Fm Gifty Annan, and dedicated drivers like Sub/O Atua and Lfm Andrew Tetteh Yemo.

In 2020, her successful tenure led to her promotion as the Deputy Regional Fire Commander for Greater Accra, a role she held for four years before her current appointment as Bono East Regional Fire Commander. She handed over the reins to DO I Faustina Nelson Asiedu.

ACFO II Sarpong concluded her speech with advice for the current and future personnel of the station. “My advice to you all is that we should be united and take the work seriously. Please continue from where we left off.”

She cautioned against abuse of power. “No one should use his or her position to intimidate those working under them. We all joined the service, and we will leave one day, and when we meet outside, we should be able to greet one another.”

The anniversary thanksgiving also served as a platform for key stakeholders to express their support. Dr Evans Aggrey-Darko, the Head of the Office of the Head of Civil Service, expressed his joy at joining the celebration.

He stated that he believes the Fire Service is a vital service for the Ministries and beyond, and he will ensure their needs are met to enable them to continue their good services.

Other guests included a representative from the Controller and Accountant General’s Department, the Deputy Regional Fire Commander, Greater Accra, ACFO II Martha Solomon, and former commanders like ACFO I (rtd) Faustina Nelson Asiedu and DO1 (rtd) Kingsley Omane Baah, the station’s first second-in-command, along with other pensioners.