We’ll not tolerate negligence - Fire service officer cautions

Mrs Naomi Ofori Adubea, the Commander in charge of the Ministries Fire Station of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), has cautioned the public against engaging in activities that could cause fire outbreaks.

Speaking with Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of a fire Safety Workshop, organised for personnel at the Head office in Accra, on Thursday, Mrs Adubea said the GNFS was set to prosecute anyone who would be found engaging in such acts without “any hindrance”.

She stated: “The National Fire Service will not tolerate negligence.”

Mrs Adubea explained that, per the research of the GNFS, the frequently recorded cause of fire outbreak in the country was negligence, which she described as “rather unfortunate. “

She said some people did not heed to the advice of GNFS, explaining; “Some people do anything anyhow without considering the possibility of causing fire outbreak.”

“Many a time, you see people using candles in closet environments, full of flammable materials such as papers. Some cigarette smokers drop the piece of burning smoke anywhere.

“Some people stay unconcerned when they see naked electric wire in their homes, they don’t care about their electrical appliances, gas cylinders and anything that could expose them to fire.”

The safety workshop, she said, formed part of the GNFS’s commitment towards combating the increase in the rate of fire outbreaks to safeguard the lives of people and their property.

She said according to the Act 537 of the GNFS’s Act 1997, the main objective of the Service was to prevent and manage the occurrence of fire outbreaks.

They were not mandated only to extinguish fires as was often the perception.

The Act, Mrs Adubea said, was cemented by the LI 1724 of 2003, which mandated the GNFS to organise fire safety education for the public to sensitise them on the causes and prevention of menace.

The roles also include the inspection of fire extinguishers, building premises as well as issuing fire safety certificates.

The Ministries Fire Station Commander said the GNFS was poised to deepen its public fire safety sensitisation projects to maximise results, but it needed the massive cooperation of the public.