Ghana National Fire Service inspects fire safety equipment

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has inspected fire safety equipment and installations at the Upper West Regional Hospital in Wa.

The review is to ascertain the hospital’s efficiency in preventing and detecting fire outbreaks at the facility.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after the inspection, Divisional Officer III (DO III), Mr Martin Bakobie, the Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the GNFS, noted that the inspection at the hospital was part of a series of fire safety and risk assessments of various institutions by the Regional Command.

He said these fire safety audits aimed to ascertain the risks and hazards associated with the premises of these institutions and to recommend the safety measures to be put in place to prevent or minimise damage to property in the event of fire outbreaks.

Mr Bakobie lauded the fire safety installations at the facility but noted there was the need for the Command to provide training for the hospital staff to serve as fire wardens.

Assistant Divisional Officer I (ADO I), Mr Alex Suleman, the Acting Wa Municipal Fire Commander at the end of the inspection lauded the management for ensuring perfect housekeeping.

He said even though exit signs were well fitted, two of the emergency exits were obstructed and needed to be worked on to enhance easy passage in case of emergency.

Mr Suleman noted that the assessment also allowed them to understand the nature of equipment at the facility to better inform them on what to do in case of any fire outbreak.

“If you do not understand the nature of the hospital equipment installed and there is a fire outbreak, you may choose the wrong fire fighting method which will rather cause more damage to the equipment that you are trying to protect from being damaged by the fire,” he said.

The Acting Wa Municipal Fire Officer noted, however, that the dry powder chemical extinguishers provided at the facility were not suitable for sensitive electrical appliances and recommended that the hospital acquire additional CO2 extinguishers.

According to him, almost all fire extinguishers at the facility were due for servicing and recommended they be serviced immediately to forestall a situation where any of them would fail to function during a fire outbreak.

Regarding water supply to the facility, the Acting Municipal Fire Officer, said there was an adequate water supply for fire fighting, adding that apart from the supply from the Ghana Water Company, the facility also have its alternative source of water supply.