GNFS records various disasters in Dormaa areas

The Ghana National Fire Service in Dormaa – Ahenkro, recorded 41 various incidents of disasters in 2014, at an estimated cost of Ghc283,037.

Three deaths were recorded in these disasters during the year under review.

Speaking at a meeting of heads of department of the municipality, Division Officer Three, Richard Hormeku, Municipal Fire Commander, said five incidents including three road traffic accidents and two domestic fire outbreaks occurred in the Dormaa East District while 36 incidents were recorded in the Dormaa Central Municipality.

He gave the breakdown as follows: eight road traffic accident, 12 domestic fire outbreaks, one electric transformer fire outbreak, three persons rescued from boreholes, one dead body retrieved from a pit latrine at Aboabo Number four, Nkyenkyenkye and Kofi Badukrom respectively, four car fire outbreaks, one industrial fire at Adama Unity Poultry Farm, one filling station outbreak at the Shell Filling Station and five bush fire outbreaks.

The municipal fire commander disclosed that the Service additionally rendered humanitarian services to the public, trained fire volunteers in various communities to prevent bush fire outbreaks.

He said the major challenges encountered during the period, were fuel, accommodation for ambulance service and source of water.

He hinted that this year the Service intends to embark on educational campaigns, including house-to-house outreaches, market institution and other organization to sensitize the people about fire safety matters, beef up the personnel strength in order to cover more locations, and at least three radio discussions a week.

He stated that the service intends to educate retailers who sell Liquidfied Petroleum Gas(LPG) products and gadgets so that they can subsequently train their customers, since it has been revealed that most domestic fires were caused by ignorance on the part of gas users.

“We will also visit gas filling stations to ensure and maintain safety standards of operations, especially ensuring retailers who sell gas avoid over-filling of gas cylinders which is believed to cause a lot of outbreaks,” he added.