Govt allocates 1,000 new jobs for Fire and Rescue Force

SHINYANGA: THE government has allocated approximately 1,000 new job positions for the Fire and Rescue Force, to be included in the upcoming 2025/2026 financial year budget.

This announcement was made on Monday by the Permanent Secretary for the President’s Office, Public Service Management and Good Governance, Juma Mkomi during a mini council meeting for Fire and Rescue Force staff in Morogoro.

Mr Mkomi said that the President’s Office is continuing its efforts to improve the Fire and Rescue Force, particularly in terms of recruitment, recognising the unit’s sensitivity and importance.

He said that the goal is to address staff shortages, promotions and various entitlements for officers, firefighters and civilian staff to improve the force’s efficiency.

“As previously mentioned, we have approved the recruitment of 425 new staff and for the upcoming 2025/2026 budget, we have allocated vacancies for 1,000 more staff. However, given the scale of responsibilities and the challenges at hand, I believe even these 1,000 positions may not be enough,” said Mr Mkomi.

He noted that there are ongoing projects, including the construction of seven new fire and rescue stations and highlighted key developments such as the Msalato Airport, which requires 164 personnel from the force.

Mr Mkomi pointed out the Shinyanga Airport, which needs 78 personnel and the Mtwara Airport, which is completed but lacks adequate staffing.

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The force currently needs about 7,553 more personnel, including staff in leadership positions, Mr Mkomi stated.

“This means the demand for staff remains high and as we move forward, the need will continue to grow.

For example, the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project, which stretches from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro and beyond, will also require additional personnel. As the project progresses, we will need even more staff,” Mr Mkomi explained.

He further mentioned that the government has already approved the recruitment of 425 new positions for the current year and the recruitment process is underway.

For the next financial year (2025/2026), 1,000 new positions have been allocated.

Mr Mkomi also urged the Fire and Rescue Force to adhere to laws, regulations and procedures during the recruitment process to ensure that only capable individuals are selected.

The Commissioner General of the Fire and Rescue Force, John Masunga, expressed his gratitude to the government under President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan for the ongoing efforts to address the force’s challenges.