Public Relations Officer for the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), ADO1 Alex King Nartey, has expressed serious concerns over the challenges the GNFS faces in responding to fires quickly, especially in areas lacking fire stations.
“When there’s a fire and our response time is delayed, people start blaming us. But they rarely consider where we’re coming from” he made this known in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen Show.
According to him, areas such as Dome-Kwabenya, Taifa, and Ashonmang Estate lack dedicated fire stations, which significantly affect response times.
“Achimota, Darkuman, Lapaz, Odorkor, Kaneshie, and East Legon also have no fire stations,” he added.
He explained that stations should ideally be situated within each constituency for better proximity.
Another major issue, he noted, is the widespread practice of unplanned construction.
“People build indiscriminately, which not only affects our access but also delays our response,” he said.
ADO1 Nartey explained that in cases where firefighters need to replenish water, they often have to travel long distances to find hydrants.
“Sometimes, we have to go very far to get water, and this impacts our efficiency during fires” he said.
According to the PRO, the lack of support from local assemblies compounds these issues.
He believes that assemblies are not providing sufficient fire stations or safeguarding fire hydrants.
“Assemblies are granting building permits without thorough inspection, and they don’t prioritize protecting hydrants,” he noted.
ADO1 Nartey also mentioned that illegal mining, or galamsey, further complicates their operations.
“The galamsey menace affects us as it impacts the availability of hydrants for firefighting,” he said.
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