Orange Liberia and the Liberia National Fire and Rescue Service have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), aimed at promoting enhanced public safety and saving lives. The MOU was signed at a press conference, held at the company’s headquarters on Capital By-Pass on Friday, August 5, 2022.
The Chief Executive Officer of Orange Liberia, Jean Maris Yao, said that the signing of the MOU was the result of many weeks of discussions between the two institutions on solidifying avenues to partner and ensure protection of lives and property from being destroyed by fire.
“The recent events in our country demonstrate that fire is a matter of public interest,” said Yao. “It is therefore a part of Orange Liberia’s corporate social responsibility to support the Fire Service so that it can exercise its mission, not only for the preservation of property, but especially for the preservation of human life.”
He highlighted that, at the core of its business, Orange had a responsibility to ensure uninterrupted access to telecommunications for people across the country, including for law enforcement and defense service who need stable communications to coordinate their efforts. Yao stated that, to be able to provide uninterrupted service, Orange needed to ensure that it had in place a solid business continuity plan, which includes ensuring that all its facilities followed strict fire safety compliance standards.
He pointed out that Orange Liberia was the first private business in Liberia to be certified by Liberia’s Fire Service as being in full compliance with all fire safety guidelines.
As a further show of its commitment to supporting Liberia’s Fire Service agency, CEO Yao announced that, as part of the MOU, Orange Liberia would support the creation of various campaigns to strengthen awareness on fire safety and prevention. He also announced that Orange would sponsor two firefighters to travel from Liberia to Paris, France, for additional training.
Once they return to Liberia, the firefighters would be able to use the advanced training they received to enhance the effectiveness of the Fire Service agency.
The Director of the Fire Service agency, Alex Dixon, thanked Orange Liberia for the partnership and kind gesture, which her termed as the first of its kind since the entity was established in 1948. He honored the memory of two Liberian children who were killed by fire last week, and highlighted that the support from Orange Liberia was cardinal to helping the agency to be able to prevent future occurrences.
“With Orange, it is clear that this is a company that knows the importance of saving lives. We thank Orange Liberia for recognizing us, for partnering with us, for helping us save lives in Liberia and for protecting properties in Liberia,” said Director Dixon.
Director Dixon and his team presented a certificate of appreciation to the CEO and management of Orange Liberia for the continued support the company has provided to enhance the agency.
“Every time you look at this certificate, we want you to be reminded of the wonderful support you have provided to the fire service to save lives in Liberia,” Director Dixon said.
