The Fire Service in Ashanti Region is adopting measures to reduce the turnaround time in firefighting within markets in the region.
The measure is aimed at reducing cost incurred by victims of fire.
Fire fighters have been trained on the use of firefighting installations at the Kejetia Market, among other strategies to deal with fire emergencies in the city.
Market fires, due to poor set ups of most markets, have ruined many of their sources of income.
Blockage of access routes have impeded fire fighters in dousing flames in markets.
Acting Regional Fire Commander, ACFO Henry Giwah, said the service is embarking on sensitisation campaigns in traditional markets in Kumasi as part of measures to deal with the problem.
“In the Bantama, Asafo and other traditional markets, we will intensify our education to make sure they are well informed on fire prevention and even fighting before we get to the scene,” he said.
Unlike many markets in the country, the Kejetia Market in Kumasi is built with firefighting installations.
Each of the two installed reservoirs in the market supplies 8,000 litres of water for fire emergencies.
Though measures are well in place for firefighting, the service has taken its personnel through the technology application in the market.
“We have observed that the market has almost all the firefighting facilities so if there is any fire emergency, the smoke detectors pick them, send the signal to the control panel and a signal is sent to our officers who will react,” ACFO Giwah explained.
The service is on a mission to reduce fires by 60% achieving 20% by end of the first half of the year.
Being proactive and intensifying fire education are among the strategies adopted to meet the target.