Fire Service worried over disorderly siting of structures at Weija
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has expressed worry over the haphazard siting of structures at Weija and its surrounding areas in Accra, which it says does not follow spatial planning.
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According to the Weija Division of the GNFS, the poor siting of landed property makes it challenging for fire personnel to operate when there is a fire outbreak.
The Weija Municipal Fire Officer, Mr Isaac Saah, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, said a large number of companies in the area did not also possess fire extinguishers and other basic fire safety equipment.
In an interview after a fire training exercise for staff of the Weija branch of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr Saah said most companies and residents of Weija did not take the issue of fire safety seriously until there was an outbreak.
“People still do not value the work of the Fire Service because they never see our relevance until they encounter a fire outbreak. I still do not understand why many people refuse to adhere to basic fire safety measures,” he complained.
Exercise
The exercise formed part of the GRA Weija office’s activities to educate residents and corporate institutions in the municipality on how to prevent fire outbreaks.
Participants were trained on the prevention and effective management of fire.
They were also educated on causes of fire, its composition and classification, how to extinguish fire, as well as safety tips on controlling fire involving petrol and gas.
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Mr Saah said a lot of efforts had been made recently to sensitise companies and people to adhere to basic fire safety rules but noted that adaptation was still an issue.
He reminded corporate bodies that it was mandatory for them to keep fire fighting equipment and devices on their premises.
Fire outbreaks
On fire outbreaks, Mr Saah said the situation at Weija and its surrounding areas had reduced drastically.
“Last year, we recorded over 120 fire outbreaks in the first six months but this year we have recorded 86,” he said.
Asked about the challenges the Weija Fire Service was facing, he said the division needed fire hydrants because the old ones were damaged.
Mr Saah also stressed the need for the road network to be improved to enable fire personnel to easily reach communities within the Weija area in case of a fire outbreak.