By Saidu Jalloh
The Sierra Leone National Fire Force has recorded significant progress in its nationwide operations, infrastructure, personnel expansion and emergency response capabilities over the past eight months.
Speaking at the Government’s Weekly Press Conference on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, the Fire Force Public Relations Officer, Bintu Fatmata Binta Kamara, highlighted key achievements resulting from government interventions and international partnerships aimed at strengthening fire prevention and rescue services across the country.
Kamara disclosed that the Fire Force responded to and extinguished 375 fires nationwide between 1 January and 31 August 2026, including major incidents at ECOWAS Street, the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) premises and the Light Board in Makeni.
The Western Area recorded the highest number of incidents with 249 cases, followed by the Eastern Region with 57, the Southern Region with 38, and the Northern Region with 31.
Beyond firefighting, Kamara said the institution conducted 10 specialized search-and-rescue operations, mainly involving the extraction of people from water wells. The operations resulted in two people being rescued alive, while eight deceased individuals were recovered.
She further disclosed that the Fire Force has secured approval from the Ministry of Finance to recruit 200 new firefighters to address critical staffing shortages at stations across the country.
According to Kamara, the final recruitment list has been submitted to the Human Resource Management Office (HRMO) for PIN code allocation, with training for the successful candidates expected to begin in October.
She said the Fire Force’s fleet has also received a significant boost through government procurement and international support.
Kamara disclosed that the Government of Sierra Leone has procured four brand-new multipurpose fire engines. Two have already undergone pre-shipment inspection, while the remaining two are expected to arrive before the end of the year.
She added that, through lobbying efforts led by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Chief Fire Officer, five additional super engine pumps and specialised firefighting equipment were donated by Spain and deployed to operational stations after firefighters received the necessary training.
Kamara also disclosed that a new fire engine has been deployed to the Makeni Fire Station to replace a 15-year-old vehicle that had become unreliable due to persistent technical problems.
On infrastructure, she said new fire stations have been constructed in Magburaka, Lunsar, Masiaka, Pujehun and Kamakwie, and are awaiting official commissioning.
She noted that the Fire Force now has structural facilities in almost all district headquarters towns, with Falaba and Karene remaining the exceptions. Full deployment of equipment and personnel to these areas, she said, will proceed as additional resources become available.
Addressing water supply challenges in the Western Area, Kamara said the Fire Force previously relied on only two functional hydrants, located at Parliament and Police Headquarters.
She disclosed that the institution has partnered with local business leaders to construct a dedicated borehole at the Aberdeen Fire Station, which is expected to become fully operational by the end of September.
Kamara also spoke about efforts to popularize the draft Fire Safety Bill, which seeks to strengthen proactive fire prevention and safety regulations across the country.
She said public sensitization workshops on the draft legislation have been completed in the Western Area and North-West Region, with plans to extend the exercise to other regions before the draft is resubmitted to Cabinet.
The Fire Force PRO further disclosed that the institution’s preventive outreach programmes have reached 250 primary and secondary schools and 58 communities nationwide, with the aim of promoting fire safety awareness and prevention.
She urged members of the public to make use of the national toll-free emergency lines, 300 to 312, when seeking assistance during emergencies, noting that the numbers can be accessed without phone credit or country codes.