Residents of Spintex, Ashaiman, Achimota, Dodowa, Ayi Mensah, and other parts of Accra are being urged to exercise caution, particularly with activities that increase the risk of fire outbreaks.
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has issued this warning due to a lack of essential firefighting tools.
Assistant Division Officer Alex King Nartey from the Public Affairs Department of the GNFS in an interview aired on Joy FM’s Midday news on Friday, June 7 emphasized the severe constraints the service faces.
He also admitted their current inability to effectively respond to potential fires.
“The fire tender at Dodowa has been out of commission for some months now, so whenever there is fire in Dodowa, the tender moves from Kpone Katamanso. The alarming one is that from Achimota to Nsawam, there is no functional fire tender.
On the stretch from Ayi Mensah all through to Akropong Akwapim, Mampong, and the rest, there is just one fire tender. It is a devastating situation,” he lamented.
Alex Nartey stressed the urgent need for assistance to retool the GNFS stations to adequately respond to emergencies.
Also, the Executive Secretary of the Bureau of Public Safety, Dr. Nana Yaw Akwadaa, partly blamed the leadership of the GNFS for its current woes.
He urged the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament to summon the Chief Fire Officer to address the issue and find solutions.
Dr. Akwadaa also questioned whether officers stationed in areas without fire tenders are drawing salaries from the public purse without performing any duties.
“I believe Parliament should summon the Chief Fire Officer immediately and ask him for a plan to address this issue. We cannot continue like this and live at the mercy of, respectfully, reckless leadership.
“Look at the areas mentioned; thousands of people live there, and if one community is razed by fire, do you know the cost to the State? It is disgraceful for a public safety institution to neglect its responsibilities for this long,” he said.
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