Swe-Gam Co. Ltd, a Swedish Gambian-owned company recently presented to the Ministry of the Interior a 3000-liter capacity water tank fire tender as donation to The Gambia Fire and Rescue Services (GFRS).
The donors say the gesture is meant to encourage, as well as express appreciation to The Gambia Fire and Rescue Services for its valuable contribution to saving lives and property in The Gambia.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, held at the Ministry’s complex in Kotu, the Managing Director of Swe-Gam Co. Ltd, Mr. Ebrima Cole, explained that this came upon their hearing the personnel of the GFRS on a radio programme lamenting their difficulty in reaching out on time to respond to fire incidents due to limited fire tenders.
"We are giving this tender to The Gambia Fire and Rescue Service for the entire country to benefit because a fire outbreak can occur at any time, at any place or at anybody’s door. Therefore, we are doing this for The Gambia," he remarked.
Mr. Cole went on to announce that the company will offer a one-year warranty for the fire tender. He revealed that the truck can attain 1 million kilometers despite the fact that the truck has already covered 57000 kilometers. He advised the drivers and mechanics working at the GFRS to collectively take proper care of the fleets for long term use.
Deputising for the Chief of the Gambia Fire and Rescue Services, Alhagie Lamin Sanyang, the Deputy Chief of the Gambia Fire and Rescue Service, said that the donation is timely; affirming that the country’s Fire and Rescue Service is operating with old fleets. He indicated that the fire tender will be handed over to a region but that its services may not be limited to that particular region if the need arises.
Mr Sanyang called on Gambians to support the Gambia Fire and Rescue Service and affirmed their commitment to serve despite the constraints.
The Deputy Chief pointed out that one of the challenges his officers face is late notification of fire incidences. He therefore advised the public to quickly notify the GFRS immediately they notice fire outbreak. “We don’t like going to a fire incident and find ash on the ground; we want to go there at the initial stage and stop the fire".
Another challenge they face, according to Sanyang is the bad attitude of ROAD USERS including drivers towards fire fighters.
Mr. Assan Tangara, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, welcomes the gesture and thanked the Managing Director of Swe- Gam Co. Ltd and his entire management team for the donation. He acknowledged that this donated fleet is in an addition to the available fleets, expressing confidence that the gesture will improve their service delivery. He assured the gathering that the Ministry, the government at large is committed TO making sure that resources are provided to its institutions.