Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority (S.F.E.S.A.) will be able to improve their services with the help of a Japan International Cooperation Agency volunteer in the areas of disaster risk management, communication and fire safety.

Samoa has received technical assistance from over 600 J.I.C.A. volunteers for more than 50 years. 

Tadashi Baba, is in Samoa to assist the management and staff of S.F.E.S.A., especially in the area of fire safety; disaster risk reduction and management.

Baba is the first J.I.C.A. volunteer assigned to S.F.E.S.A., so his work will originate an ongoing partnership between S.F.E.S.A. and J.I.C.A. Samoa Office.

By profession, Mr. Baba is a civil engineer and a firefighter for more than 45 years. He was a firefighter for Tatebayashi Fire Association Fire Department; he has experience in weather communications as an operator for Japan Air Self-Defence Force, radio equipment consultant for Tone Alpha Company Limited and serving recently as J.I.C.A. Senior volunteer/civil engineering in Fiji from 2017 to 2019.

Mr. Baba was supposed to commence work with S.F.E.S.A. in April 2020 but due to the border closures from COVID-19, he was prevented from coming to Samoa.

Although a long wait of almost three and a half years, his willingness to work together with Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority has not been dampened.

A.C.E.O. Aid Coordination Office at Ministry of Finance (MOF), Peresitene Kirifi and Principal Officer, Danielle Lio said they were honoured at M.O.F. to warmly welcome JICA senior volunteer to Samoa” and stated they were looking forward to having more opportunities with JICA volunteers.

Tadashi Baba is attached to SFESA for the next 11 months, until June 2024.