Companies must have fire hydrants - Regional Fire Officer

Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) Gilford Tetteh Adams, Tema Regional Fire Officer, has appealed to the Ghana Water Company to ensure that fire hydrants are located in every company in the Metropolis.

This, he said, would assist the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to effectively and immediately fight fire outbreaks without any delays.

Mr Adams made the appeal on Monday when he interacted with the Media on the fire outbreak which occurred over the weekend at the BBC Industrial Company (Ghana) Limited in Tema.

The Lebanese-owned company produces Leyland and Leylac Paints, Gold Acrylic Paints, Aquafill bottle and sachet water, among other products.

He said personnel of the Fire Service had a hard time to bring the fire under control, since the company’s premises had no fire hydrant.

Mr Adams explained that because there was no hydrant, getting water to fight the fire was a problem, adding that the haphazard arrangement of chemicals and other equipment at the company’s premises, also impeded the movement of the fire tenders at the scene.

The RFO said for these reasons, his men had to tread cautiously in fighting the fire, which explains why it took them several hours to bring the fire under control.

Mr Adams said his men were still on the ground, because some smoke was still emanating from the debris.

ACFO Adams indicated that the cause of the fire was yet to be established.

He denied media reports that fire officers looted some of the company’s properties, including laptops and mobile phones, during the incident.

ACFO Adams urged government to provide fire personnel in the Tema Regional with accommodation, to enable them to mobilize themselves early enough to attend to future fire outbreaks, since most of them reside outside the Metropolis.