The Ghana National Fire Service has graduated 50 officers as the first batch of retrained Fire Police Officers in a move aimed at strengthening discipline, security and crowd control during emergency operations.
The officers completed a three week intensive training programme at the Fire Academy and Training School in Accra under the Basic Fire Police Course 1-2026. The course was conducted to standards used by the Ghana Armed Forces Military Police.
Speaking at the passing out ceremony, Deputy Interior, Minister Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi described the occasion as a defining moment for the service and the country’s emergency response system.
He said the programme marked the beginning of a new chapter in how Ghana protects its people.
“Fifty officers, carefully selected from the Service across the country, have come together and emerged as the first batch of retrained Fire Police Officers. Fifty officers. One nation. One standard,” he said.
The Fire Police Unit was established in 1992 under the late Chief Fire Officer Samuel Valis Akyianu. The unit is responsible for maintaining discipline within the service, enforcing regulations, investigating complaints, protecting fire service facilities and controlling crowds and traffic at emergency scenes.
Mr Terlabi said the role of the unit had become increasingly important in modern firefighting operations.
“When a fire engine arrives at an emergency scene, it does not arrive in a calm and orderly space. It arrives into chaos. Our firefighters deserve the assurance that someone is watching their backs. That assurance to those graduating today is your mandate,” he said.
He praised instructors from the Ghana Military Police for their role in training the officers and described the collaboration as an important example of cooperation within the country’s security services.
The Deputy Minister also assured the graduates that the Interior Ministry would continue to invest in training, logistics and personnel for the unit.
He urged the officers to uphold professionalism, integrity and discipline in carrying out their duties.
“You carry with you today not only a certificate of completion. You carry a covenant with the Ghana National Fire Service, with your fellow officers, and with the people of this nation,” he told the graduates.
The ceremony was attended by senior officials of the Ghana National Fire Service, including the Chief Fire Officer, directors of the service, the Commandant of the Fire Academy and Training School, and the Provost Marshal and Commander of the Ghana Military Police.
