Fire Safety in Ghana: How Ghana National Fire Service Operates

The recent fire occurrence at one of Ghana’s most significant marketplace, Makola, has sparked some controversies and has questioned the competency of the Ghana National Fire Service.

Before this, many people have said that the person usually arrives at the scenes late and unprepared. But is this the case? In this article, we will open your eyes to some facts.

You will get to know how the Ghana fire service personnels operate, what you can do to keep your homes and workplaces safe, and perhaps you can share this information with other people to break the chain of resentment against the service.

What Does Fire Service Personnel Do When They Arrive at a Fire Scene?

Many people think fire service personnel arrive at the scene and seem unprepared to put the fire out because they need to call the Electricity Company of Ghana to turn off the lights in the neighbourhood or vicinity at which the fire occurred.

That way, it will not disrupt the work they will be doing. It will make it less risky and more accessible. So if you see personnel standing at a fire scene, it is not because he doesn’t know what to do.

The next thing they do is to access the fire. What type of fire is this? Were chemicals involved? What caused it? Are people injured? How many people are in the building?

They also have to know where exactly the fire started. These are important questions they need to answer before taking their next step. They will not arrive and jump into the fire to start putting it off. It is never done anywhere. 

Ghanaians said the personnel are sometimes late. Well, it will interest you to know that the fire tender takes 3 minutes or less to dispatch to the scene.

So, unless the tender at that particular station is out of commission (it isn’t working) and another station is called, it can take a little longer to arrive. The time it arrives solely depends on the location from which the fire tender is coming. 

What The Citizenry Must Know

You should know that a fire tender cannot dispatch without water. It isn’t done anywhere. The personnel do not arrive at the scene to stand and watch.

The fire service personnel have to check a few things before they can take action. The government needs to provide needed equipment to make the work of the personnel easier – Types of equipment like breathing apparatus, gears, PPE’s, more fire tenders, and timetable ladders.

It is unclear if the service even has enough timetable ladders to use. And we all know how essential gears and breathing apparatus are, especially if people need rescuing in a blazing fire.

People said that, sometimes, when the fire occurs, the personal arrive in taxis. What is the use of arriving at a fire scene without a fire tender? Well, it could be that they were sent to first access the fire and bring back information. Sometimes ignorance is not bliss. It is essential to know what goes on before making conclusions.

What Can You Do to Keep Your Homes/Workplaces Safe from Fire outbreaks?

You have probably heard this a million times, put your electrical appliances off before you step out of your room. Research has shown that most fire occurrences recorded in Ghana are due to electrical faults. We all know that electricity and water are not best friends.

They aren’t even friends. That is why you must keep away far away from your appliances. And keep them out of the reach of children. Always put your electrical appliances off before you leave your home because there could be light out, and when it comes back on, something can burn in a device and cause a fire.

Install smoke detectors at workplaces and schools, even at your homes. This appliance helps detect a fire before it spreads. Once it perceives smoke, it will blare an alarm, and everyone around can run to safety. No matter small your workplace is, a smoke detector is essential. Fix one or two or three. 

Service your gas every three months to check for leakages. A gas explosion is also widespread and is very dangerous. It spreads quickly but cannot be put out easily. Such a fire can cause significant damage to lives and properties. 

Every home, school, workplace, car should get a fire extinguisher. If it finishes, you fill it up. Not every fire can be put out with water. Gas explosion, for instance, cannot be put out with water. Not all electrical fires can even be put out with some fire extinguishers. So it is vital to be educated and thought the right way to use these extinguishers. That is why personnel usually go out there to inform the public.

Conclusion

We are sure you have picked up a thing or two, and you can educate someone ignorant of these facts. Always keep in mind that these personnel are doing the best they can, they even sometimes lack the needed types of equipment to work, but they make do with what they have.

What we must do is laud the gallant personnel. 

Call 192 to report a fire occurrence. 

No smoking at fuel stations or anywhere there is gas.

Keep your homes safe and clean.