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Tag: Ghana National Fire Service

  • Mosquito coil caused fire which claimed 3 lives in Abuakwa – GNFS

    Mosquito coil caused fire which claimed 3 lives in Abuakwa – GNFS

    According to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), a fire outbreak at Abuakwa in the Ashanti Region’s Atwima Nwabiagya town started because of a mosquito coil. Three people died as a result of the fire.

    It says, “an unattended lit mosquito coil in close contact with room combustibles caused the heart wrenching fire which claimed 3 lives and resulted in the destruction of three (3) bedrooms and their contents including roofing sheets, doors, utensils, furniture, household appliances and personal effects which run into several thousands of cedis”.

    A mother,28, her daughter, 9, and her granddaughter, 6, were burnt to death on Wednesday, February 1.

    The deceased got trapped in their room, suffocated by the heavy smoke and burnt to death by the fire.

    Fire fighters believed the fire started at about 2:00am on the said day.

    The Ashanti Regional Fire Command said an unattended lit mosquito coil in close contact with room combustibles caused the fire which claimed 3 lives.

    “Fortunately, two (2) other tenants in the affected house managed to escape unhurt from the ruinous fire,” the Duty Officer, ASTNO Osei Gyamfi, explained.

    He said “late call-up to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) for help, as a result of late detection of fire and wrong address provided to the fire scene and poor road network led to the destruction of three (3) bedroom and their contents”.

  • Fire destroys 3 houses, five vehicles at Kwadaso

    Fire destroys 3 houses, five vehicles at Kwadaso

    Fire has gutted 3 houses in the Kwadaso-Siloam community in the Ashanti region.

    Residents say the fire started around 7am on Saturday morning.

    When personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service arrived at the scene, the fire had already assumed a dangerous dimension which left residents running for cover.

    All 12 persons inside the buildings at the time the fire started, were moved to safety, with no casualty recorded.

    The fire outbreak also destroyed several personal belongings and property, including 5 newly-acquired vehicles parked in one of the houses.

    Fire destroys 3 houses, five vehicles at Kwadaso

    The cause of fire is yet to be established.

    The security service has been ensuring calm in the community as the fire service struggles to douse the fire.

  • We will replace old fire tenders by June – Fire Service PRO

    We will replace old fire tenders by June – Fire Service PRO

    In order to support the activities of fire fighting in the nation, the administration of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has promised that by June of this year, all outdated fire tenders in the service’s possession will be replaced with some state-of-the-art fire tenders.

    The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of GNFS, Assistant Chief Fire Officer Timothy Osafo Affum, gave this assurance while speaking on some of the challenges confronting the service in an interview with the host of the Ghana Yensom morning show, Odeyeeba Kofi Essuman on Accra 100.5 FM on Friday, January 20, 2023.

    He said the government over the years has helped to get a partner who has taken all the specifications for the procurement of new fire tenders for the service.

    He added that all the needed agreements have been signed for the fire tenders to arrive in the country by June this year.

    According to him, the specification had been given to the partner because fire tenders are not sold on the open markets like ordinary cars.

    “These are equipment that is country-specific so all these considerations had to be made when it comes to procurement of such equipment,” he explained.

    He said the existing tenders in possession of the service are more than 10-years-old which is not supposed to be the case.

    “Ideally, a fire tender should not be in use for more than five years,” he added.

    He revealed that there are about 209 fire stations across the country with only 200 fire tenders.

    He added that the situation is so because some of the tenders have broken down and others are obsolete.

    He corrected the notion that the police and military are favoured when it is time to equip the security services.

    He added that this notion cannot be the reality because one fire tender can procure several vehicles for the police and military.

    “So when tenders numbering about 100 are procured for the fire service it comes with a huge cost because tenders are quite expensive and country-specific.”

    He commended the government for the measures it is making to equip the fire service administration to live to the expectations of the general public.

  • Fire razes girls dormitory at Wa Sec Tech

    Fire razes girls dormitory at Wa Sec Tech

    A fire breakout destroying a piece of the main girls’ dormitory block at Wa Sec Tech has left over 200 students stranded.

    The inferno started at about 8:00 pm last night, destroying five rooms and the belongings of the girls in the one-story dormitory block.

    It took the intervention of personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service to bring the disaster under control, thereby preventing the fire from destroying the entire dormitory block.

    Assistant Divisional Fire Officer, Iddrisu Imran who led the team of firefighters to the scene disclosed that the immediate cause of the fire was not known but that his outfit had commenced investigations into the disaster that rendered the over 200 girls homeless.

    “The top floor of about five rooms was affected. The fire started burning before we were called. We are trying our best to quench the fire. There are no casualties, some of them were shocked and have been sent to the nearest health facility,” he stated.

  • Severe Harmattan fertile grounds for fire outbreaks – Bono Regional Minister

    Severe Harmattan fertile grounds for fire outbreaks – Bono Regional Minister

    To lessen the likelihood of fire outbreaks, particularly during this harmattan season, Justina Owusu Banahene, the regional minister for Bono, has urged the public to exercise caution when handling objects that easily catch fire.

    The minister urged people in the region to handle naked fire in cigarettes, firewood, cooking stoves, among other sources with utmost care in order to reduce the incidents of fire outbreaks

    According to Justina Owusu Banahene, there is a need to protect lives and property during the harmattan season.

    The minister who sounded this note of warning during an interactive section with some pressmen in her office in Sunyani stated that this warning became necessary in order to avoid disasters in the region this season.

    According to her, “as our environment becomes dusty and hazy with dryness to everything including trees, wooden items, leaves and furniture, we urge residents to be extremely careful with fire so as to prevent outbreaks because fire is nobody’s friend.

    “Citizens will notice that there has been a change in the weather condition and as a result, the citizens ought to take serious precautionary measures by making sure that they install fire extinguishers in homes and offices,” she reiterated

    She stated that motorists should ensure that they have fire extinguishers in their vehicles, maintain speed limits and observe road signs

    She warned citizens to avoid bush and solid waste burning during this period as this might lead to fire outbreaks.

    She again advised Ghanaians against the storage of petrol and other inflammable materials at homes, offices, shops and markets as their storage could aid in fire outbreaks, especially during this harmattan period when virtually all objects in the environment are dry and combustible.

    Justina Owusu Banahene further urged residents of the region to always switch off electrical appliances in their offices at the close of work and at home when leaving for work or other endeavours as a way of preventing fire disasters which were often rampant during the harmattan period.

    Justina Owusu Banahene further urged drivers to beware of the hazy weather condition which had reduced visibility to less than 10m, stressing that motorists should ensure that all parts of their vehicles are in good condition before embarking on any journey.

    This is a season when objects of various sorts become very dry and so easily combustible with the least contact with fire. The statistics of fire around this time every year is high – a reason we should be careful lest we spark avoidable fires and cause harm and even fatalities.

    The Regional Minister, acknowledge efforts the Ghana National Fire service (GNFS) is making to educate citizens on the place of safety when using LPG and other inflammable stuff, however, sustaining this education would go a long way in creating the needed awareness in handling domestic gas stoves to avoid fires.

    She noted that Taking things for granted should be avoided in our relationships with the environment. We have treaded on this tangent for far too long, the fallouts too glaring to be ignored. The lives which have been lost through such fires and even infernos are many.

    She affirms that Fire outbreaks have caused much anguish in homes because breadwinners have been killed and properties destroyed beyond recovery.

    Mad, Justina Owusu Banahene caked on the Ghana National Fire Service should join hands with the various municipal and district assemblies within the region and even NADMO in educating the people about fires, how they are started and response mechanisms.

    “That is the way to go. Education is very important in matters of safety. Schools at all levels should benefit from education, including, market places. With the rising statistics of LPG use in the country, especially in rural areas, the importance of education cannot be overemphasized,” she concluded

  • Fire Service struggles to douse burning car

    Fire Service struggles to douse burning car

    A video which captures some Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) personnel struggling to salvage a burning car is making rounds on social media.

    In the video, which has also been shared by GhOne TV on Twitter, the firefighters are seen frantically trying to get their fire tender to shoot out water towards a car that was nearly fully up in flames, just on the other side of the road.

    One of the personnel of the GNFS is then seen trying to manually start a generator, so as to get the fire tender working.

    All the while, bystanders are heard in the background, expressing how disappointed they are, while others try to explain what led to the car catching fire.

    The GNFS is yet to officially respond to the video, as well as confirm whether this is actually a recent video or not.

  • Samini calls for help for Ghana National Fire Service

    Samini calls for help for Ghana National Fire Service

    Ghanaian musician, Samini has called on the leadership of the country to provide modern equipment to the Ghana National Fire Service.

    In the wake of a recent fire outbreak that claimed the life of a police personnel and his family at their residence in Apromase, Ashanti Region, a video has emerged to prove that most fire stations lack the tools needed to quench fire in emergencies.

    A disturbing footage of a burning car that couldn’t be saved by some personnel from the Fire Service despite being present at the time has raised concerns.

    In reaction to the clip, Samini expressed his disappointment in Ghana’s slow progress.

    “Who’s been doing the thinking? From our great grand fathers to us men of today. Priority has been misplaced. How can a fire engine be in this condition and you expect to save lives and property with it? Question for the Gods. #ghanafireservice needs help Chale. Markets burn oo,” his tweet read.

    Samini called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to equip the service and complement their effort in saving lives and properties.

    In response to a tweep who urged him to openly call out the president, Samini wrote: “You mean tag the president… why not? Good morning me president @NAkufoAddo streets are calling for a lot of changes in various aspects of society…they’ll be tagging you with their issues please. Thanks for your audience.”

    Check out the posts below:

  • Vehicles without effective fire extinguishers to be refused fuel supply in Ho

    Vehicles without effective fire extinguishers to be refused fuel supply in Ho

    The Volta Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service has announced that vehicles without effective fire extinguishers will be refused access to fuel and Gas Filling Stations in Ho by the end of January 2023.

    Drivers who fail to have fire extinguishers also risk being arrested.

    This was made known by the Volta Regional Fire Commander, ACFO I Joy Ameyibor Ayim during a routine fire safety inspection and sensitization exercise in Ho during the Christmas holidays.

    In this light, drivers with vehicles without functional and befitting fire extinguishers have up to the end of January, 2023 to comply.

    The Ghana National Fire Service is implementing this initiative to curtail fire outbreaks in the country.

    Ghana while commemorating the Christmas festivity recorded a total of 226 fire outbreaks in a span of seven days, the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has revealed.

    A breakdown of the total fire cases recorded shows that 91 were domestic fire, 54

    bush fires, 33 commercial fires, 24 vehicular fires, 15 electrical installations, 6 crown and refuse dump fires, and 3 Institutional fires. There were a total of 55 out of arrival cases. 

  • One tipper truck collides with the Asitey ditch, killing the driver on Boxing Day

    The truck he was operating lost its brakes and slammed into the infamous Asitey ditch in the Lower Manya Krobo District of the Eastern Region on Boxing Day evening, Monday, December 26, 2022, killing the driver, who has yet to be named.

    The tipper truck with the license plate GT 7250-19 was apparently traveling towards Tema when its brakes failed as it descended the Ayemersu highlands, causing it to smash into a ditch and instantly killing the driver. The truck was loaded with limestone from the Odugblase mines.

    The driver was said to be alone in the truck at the time of the accident.

    Police personnel from the Odumase Police Command together with personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service responded to the incident to remove the remains of the deceased from the wreckage.

    Rescue efforts were however scuttled for about two hours by a swarm of bees which hovered around the accident vehicle with police and civilians unable to go near.

    It took the intervention of the GNFS to drive away the ferocious insects to enable the team to operate.

    His body has since been deposited at the St Martin’s de Pores hospital morgue pending preservation and autopsy.

    Family and employers of the victim were yet to be contacted by authorities at the time of filing this story with the identity of the deceased driver unknown.

    Several accidents have been recorded this year at the mountainous Ayemersu-Asitey enclave ridden with heavy-duty limestone-winning trucks which is a notorious accident hotspot that has claimed several lives over the years.

  • W/R: Pregnant woman dies after slipping into a well

    A five-month pregnant woman who fell into a well in Sekondi Takoradi, Ghana’s Western Region, has been identified as deceased.

    The pregnant woman, identified as Efua Amoaba, is claimed to have been fetching water from the well with her three children when the tragedy happened.

    Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Coordinator, James Obeng Jnr, who was called to the scene, said the children who were oblivious to what happened returned home alone and did not raise an alarm.

    However, her body was discovered by some residents who also went to the well to fetch water for washing.

    “Preliminary investigations note that the woman left home on December 20 to go to the well but she was not found until Wednesday when residents raised an alarm that someone was floating in the well. Our personnel visited the scene and retrieved the body only to discover the victim was actually pregnant,” he said.

    Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service and the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and police have reported to close off the well.

    The police have since retrieved the body and deposited it at the Effia Nkwanta mortuary as investigations commence.

    Currently, the well has been sealed off and residents have been restricted from visiting that site.

  • 73yr-old man burnt to death in fire outbreak at Akyem Asuboa

    A 73-year-old man, Yaw Donkor, has been burnt to death after fire gutted three single rooms in a compound house at Akyem Asuboa in the Asene Manso Akroso District of the Eastern Region.

    The fire which occurred Wednesday dawn behind the chief’s palace razed down three single rooms and a wooden kitchen structure and had all its content completely burnt.

    Unfortunately, the charred body of the 73-year-old was realized immediately after firefighters managed to extinguish the fire.

    The Eastern Regional Fire Service Commander ACFO Jennifer Naa Yaaley Quaye who confirmed the incident to Citi News indicated that some other occupants were rescued.

    She revealed that her outfit has begun investigations to ascertain the cause of the fire.

    In a related development, fire on Sunday destroyed some rooms at the Kpando Aloyi Police rented quarters in the Volta Region.

    A police situational report revealed that all the belongings of the personnel completely got burnt in the process.

    The Ghana National Fire Service personnel managed to prevent the fire from spreading to other rooms at the apartment. It took the service personnel about two hours to bring the fire under complete control.

  • Kantamanto fire: Close down shops that avoid electrical wiring audits – BPS to GNFS

    The Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) has urged the Ghana National Fire Service to close down shops that fail to participate in community fire training and education as well as sanction those who fail to avail themselves of an audit on electrical wiring.

    The BPS’ suggestion comes on the heels of the fire outbreak that razed over 200 shops, destroying goods worth thousands of cedis at Kantamanto in Accra on Tuesday, November 29, 2022.

    Despite the fact that the inferno destroyed several shops and properties, the Ghana National Fire Service was able to douse it after several hours to prevent further loss.

    The GNFS complained of a lack of accessibility to the market, which made their job difficult.

    The Chief of Party at the Bureau of Public Safety, Nana Yaw Akwada, speaking to Class News, said the Ghana National Fire Service must intensify its public education on fire safety and hold traders accountable.

    He also chided city authorities for failing to structure market centers in the cities properly.

  • Weija China Mall inferno: Inside the over 6-hour operation by Fire Service

    Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) personnel were called to help douse an inferno at the China Mall Warehouse located at Weija Junction on Saturday, November 26.

    The facility, located near the Empire Cement factory had been on fire since Saturday afternoon with the blaze continuing into the evening, according to GNFS.

    At the time of filing this report, the following major updates had been issued:

    a. Four fire tenders had been deployed from four different stations

    b. The building contained fuel and building materials

    c. The GNFS had to break portions of the building for better access

    d. The fire had at a point been spreading

    Below is a progressive account of the first six hours since the fire alert incident was issued:

    Fire Incident Alert issued:

    GNFS reported at around 4pm that an active fire incident was being looked into: The post on their official Facebook handle read as follows:

    Inferno involving multiple building materials at Weija Junction near Empire Cement in Accra. Fire in progress.

    Three (3) fire engines have been dispatched from Weija, Budumburam and Abelemkpe Fire Stations to contain the situation.

    Firefighters are currently busy at the fire scene and risking it to douse the high blaze.

    Fourth pump deployed

    An hour later, the GNFS alerted to the fact that a fourth pump had been deployed from the National Headquarters to support the operation on the ground.

    A post on Facebook added that: “Rigorous and tactical firefighting currently in progress. The Police are currently at the fire scene to provide security.
    No casualty recorded at the fire scene.

    Contents of building disclosed:

    Close to three hours since the alert was issued, it appeared that the fire fight was ongoing but the blaze was also raging.

    According to the GNFS, “Contents in the building include fuel, building materials, etc.”

    Monitor deployed after parts of building broken into:

    At about 7:15pm, an appliance referred to as a monitor was deployed to help douse the fire. At this point portions of the building had been weakened by the raging fire and personnel remained on the ground with little visibility but making do with some lights.

    Reignitions and bulldozing parts of building for better access:

    The last update from the incident at the time of filing this report was at around 10pm.

    It read: “Due to lack of accessibility to fight the fire in the building, there has been several re-ignitions.

    “Efforts are now being made to break portions of the building to create space for offensive firefighting.”

  • One person confirmed dead in Bogoso accident

    One person has been confirmed dead with four others injured in an accident involving a Daf truck and five other vehicles at Bogoso in the Western Region on November 19, 2022.

    Police investigation has disclosed that the driver of the Daf truck, carrying logs from the Prestea end of the road, upon reaching Bogoso lost control while negotiating a curve. In the process, the logs fell on the five other vehicles.

    One person confirmed dead in Bogoso accident 

    Personnel of the MTTD are on the grounds and the road has since been opened to traffic.

    One person confirmed dead in Bogoso accident 

    The Ghana National Fire Service is assisting to rescue the victims believed to be trapped in the accident vehicles.

    Augustus Osei, driver of one of the vehicles involved in the accident said the breaking system of the Daf truck failed, which resulted in the accident.

    “I was coming from Boadie to Bogoso and we had bypassed the roundabout. The Daf truck had already climbed the hill but suddenly all we could see was the truck reversing by itself so I shouted for all my passengers to exit the vehicle.

    “Three of us in the vehicle managed to exit but one person could not exit so he died,” he narrated.

     

  • Fire Conference: Pay attention to ‘burnt to death’ cases – Ambrose Dery to GNFS

    The Minister for the Interior, Mr. Ambrose Dery, has charged the Ghana National Fire Service to pay particular attention to the phenomenon of ‘burnt to death cases’ during fire outbreaks.

    He said the situation where fire victims are trapped and firefighters are unable to rescue them is on the rise and is a worry to the nation.

    Mr. Ambrose Dery made the call during the start of a three-day Fire Conference for stakeholders and regional Fire Commanders.

    The 3-day maiden Fire Conference discussing “Fire Safety and Management, Safer Use of Electricity as a source of power to prevent fire, the role of the Forestry Commission in the management of bush fires in Ghana.

    The conference is also to touch on employing the right structural design and appropriate tools and equipment for effective fire management for national development. The meeting brought together stakeholders from other sectors and the various regional fire commanders.

    Mr. Dery charged them to come up with strategies that would help reduce domestic fires, which are on the rise in the country.

    The Chief Fire Officer, Mr. Julius Kuunuor, encouraged the personnel to continue their hard work to ensure the growth of the service.

    The conference is on the theme: “Enhancing effective fire management for national development.”

     

     

  • Corn miller jailed 11 years for defilement

    The Adentan Circuit Court has sentenced a corn miller to 11 years imprisonment for defiling an 11-year-old girl at Adenta.

    Evans Kweku Agyei, 20, charged with defilement, who had no legal representation, pleaded guilty.

    Agyei admitted having sex with the victim, a class five pupil, on four occasions and had been giving her money.

    The court, presided over by Mrs. Sedinam Awo Balokah, convicted Agyei, who has a hearing impairment, on his own plea.

    Prosecuting, Chief Superintendent of Police Patience Marion, said the complainant was personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service and Agyei resided at Adenta.

    Prosecution said that on October 9, this year, at about 5:00 pm, the victim visited her friend (name withheld), who also resided within the same vicinity.

    Chief Sup Marion said that on her way home, Agyei met the girl near an abandoned fitting shop, and he covered her mouth with a handkerchief.

    The court said the victim felt dizzy, and Agyei carried her into a damaged Hyundai Hiace Commercial vehicle, parked at the fitting shop, and had sex with her.

    Chief Sup Marion said when the victim gained consciousness, Agyei asked her not to tell anyone about what happened to her.

    The court heard that the convict gave the victim GH¢50.00, but she (victim) rejected the money and reported her ordeal to her friend.

    Chief Sup Marion said the mother of the victim’s friend heard about the case and informed the victim’s father.

    He said the case was reported to the police leading to the arrest of Agyei, and a medical form was issued to the complainant to seek medical care for the victim.

    Source: Ghanaiantimes

  • 4 dead, 19 injured in road crash on Mankessim-Apam road

    Four people have been confirmed dead while 19 others received various degrees of injuries in an accident at Esuahyia on the Mankessim-Apam stretch of the Winneba-Cape Coast highway on Monday.

    Two died on the spot while the other two died on arrival at the hospital.

    A Mercedes Benz Sprinter vehicle with registration number GW 7181-22 from Mankessim direction towards Accra was said to have burst its tyres resulting in the accident.

    The Central Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, DOIII Abdul Wasiu Hudu explained to newsmen that the office received a call at 2:42 pm of an accident on the Mankessim-Apam stretch of the Cape Coast Accra highway.

    He said, upon arrival at the scene of the accident, personnel from the service were informed that the injured had already been taken to the Mercy Women Roman Hospital.

    According to him, the team saw the bodies of two persons suspected to be dead and informed the police about it.

    He indicated that no victim was trapped in the vehicle.

    DOIII Hudu further said that the personnel deployed to the scene observed the vehicle burst its rear tyres.

    He, therefore, said, they suspect the accident may have been caused by the bursting of both rear tyres of the vehicle.

    The police, he said, had taken over investigations into the cause of the accident.

    Source: Ghanaiantimes

  • Fire destroys hostel of Sawla Senior High School

    On October 26, a dormitory that housed Sawla Senior High School students in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region caught fire and was completely destroyed.

    According to Bole-based Nkilgi FM, the majority of the students’ possessions—including their books, beds, mattresses, and clothing—were lost in the process.

    According to several of the pupils who request anonymity, some of them hurried out of their classrooms as soon as they noticed smoke rising from the building and promptly alerted their teachers.

    Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GFS) were called to the scene and after battling with the fire for close to 30 minutes managed to control it from spreading to other buildings.

    The cause of the fire was not immediately known but reports suggested that it started at about 1:00pm to 2:00pm.

    Preliminary investigations has been started by the Ghana National Fire Service.

    Management of the school in conjunction with Ghana Education Service (GES) are seriously working around the clock to get things back to normal in the school.

    The school authorities have expressed worry about the situation and appealed to government and benevolent organisations to as a matter of urgency come to the aid of the school by providing the students with decent accommodation to continue with academic activities.

  • Volta GNFS undergo training on HAZMAT incident management

    Senior officers of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in the Volta region have received a two-day intensive training on hazardous materials incident management (HAZMAT).

    The training, which focuses on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) was an initiative of the Regional Commander and aimed at sharpening the skills of the officers for effective delivery of work.

    Mr Joy Ayim Ameyibor, the Regional Commander of the GNFS, speaking to Ghana News Agency said the training was necessary to ensure the readiness and preparedness of the officers to respond effectively to any fire situation.

    He said every organisation across the globe thrived on training as it helped to refresh the memories of its workers and that continuous practice would make it easier to deal with situations professionally.

    He said the Service would become ineffective to respond effectively and timely to situations if it failed to organise periodic training to build the capacity of the personnel, thus “the need for us to undertake such training to sharpen our skills and be ready for any eventuality.”

    Mr Ameyibor who is also, Assistant Chief Fire Officer One (ACFO 1) said the focus was on the LPG because of late most bulk transport vehicles were having accident on the road and that it was important to prepare the men and women on how to handle such situation.

    He said, whenever an accident occurred involving bulk transport vehicles, the consequences were so catastrophic, requiring highly effective and professional skills to handle them and such skills could only be obtained through training.

    The training took the officers to some gas filling stations in the Ho Municipality, where the Commander termed as “high risk areas” to see their level of compliance with fire safety protocols.

    The Commander disclosed that there were plans to provide training for LPG attendants in the Region to equip them with the requisite skills to deal with fire incidence involving LPG.

    Assistant Divisional Officer Grade Two (ADO II), Mr Victor Fiavi, In-Charge of Transport told GNA the training was “amazing” and has broadened his knowledge and skills on how to carry out his duties in protecting lives and property.

    Source:GNA

  • Police arrest two over Dzorwulu disturbances

    Two suspects, Nana Owusu Banahene and James Quainoo, have been detained by the Ghana Police Service in connection with some unrest at Dzorwulu Accra over disputed land.

    After reportedly organizing some thugs to destroy a four-bedroom apartment building in Dzorwulu on October 24, 2022, the suspects were detained.

    According to the police report, the suspects and their allies attacked the home’s residents before the house was demolished.

    On Monday, October 24, late at night, a video quickly became popular on Twitter.

    A man was seen lying in distress on an inner road in an area identified by a commentator as ‘North Dzorwulu.’

    The victim, a middle-aged man lay motionless in the middle of the street paved with residences on both sides as bystanders looked on. Some eyewitnesses captured the victim who lay with a bloodied face and blood oozing close by.

    An unidentified man running commentary on the 33-second video was heard asking for help for the victim while exclaiming that he is not dead.

    Based on this development, the Police responded to the scene to restore calm.

    However, the perpetrators upon seeing the police abandoned the excavator and escaped from the scene.

    The Police later had information that one of the vehicles belonging to the suspects had run into a ditch and was attacked by a mob who pelted them with stones, injured one of the suspects, James Quainoo and set his car ablaze.

    Police proceeded to the place and the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) was called in to help put out the fire.

    The police statement added that, the “injured suspect is at the hospital receiving medical attention (his photograph could not be taken due to his condition).

    The investigation has so far revealed that no one was shot during the incident.

    “Investigation continues and all available footage on the incident are being reviewed as part of the investigation process.

    “Efforts are underway to arrest all other perpetrators to face justice,” the statement concluded.

  • Fire destroys house at Mataheko

    Fire has destroyed a residential apartment at Mataheko in Accra

    The incident happened Wednesday [October 12, 2022] morning.

    According to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), three fire pumps from the Greater Accra Regional Headquarters Substation, National Headquarters and Circle Fire Stations were sent to the scene to control the fire.

    The Public Relations Office of the Greater Accra Regional GNFS said they received the distress call at 4:52 am and the firefighters arrived at the scene at 5am.

    “The fire was well lit and upon assessment, the first crew requested assistance and 2 fire engines were dispatched to augment firefighting efforts,” the PR office said in a post on Facebook.

    “The raging fire was brought under control at 0544hours and finally extinguished at 0658hours. No casualties were recorded and fire was contained from spreading to 3 Adjoining houses”.

    It said the cause of fire was under investigation.

  • Fire guts shop near White Chapel in Makola

    Fire has gutted some cosmetic shops closer to the White Chapel at Makola.

    The incident happened on Wednesday, October 5, 2022.

    Items destroyed in the fire included highly combustible cosmetic products.

    The Ghana National Fire Service(GNFS) sent six fire engines including a TL and water tanker to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading further to other shops.

    The service indicated that “accessibility to the affected shops was a challenge due to hardcore burglar proofing”

    Also, “electricity power supply in the area has been isolated to enhance rigorous firefighting and prevent possible risk of electrocution of firefighters”

    There were no casualties.

    The GNFS says they are investigating the cause of fire.

  • 35 perish, 207 injured in 4,065 fire outbreaks in last 6 months

    A total of 35 persons perished and 207 others suffered injuries in 4,065 fire outbreaks across the country within six months of this year as against 3,307 outbreaks recorded the previous year within the same period.

    This represent an increase of 22.9 per cent.

    The cost of damage was pegged at GHC 30,197,948.20

    Some of the causes of the fires recorded were domestic, bush, electrical, commercial, vehicular, arson, unattended fire and natural causes.

    The Ashanti Region recorded the highest with 725 cases followed by Greater Accra Region with 700 recorded cases.

    The Ashanti Region recorded the highest with 725 cases followed by Greater Accra Region with 700 recorded cases.

    The head of Public Relations of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) Timothy Osafo-Affum disclosed these to the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday.

    He said the increase in recorded cases were as domestic fires, adding that during the raining and harmattan seasons, a lot of electrical appliances were not used properly resulting in fires.

    The PRO stated that as part of efforts to help curb the menace, the GNFS would intensify its sensitisation programmes to the public, collaborate with stakeholders to accomplish its goals.

    “There have been recent cases of tanker explosion and we continue to engage tanker drivers on best safety practices to ensure sanity in the industry,” he added.

    He said 60 per cent of fire outbreaks were preventable if the public adhere to the fire safety practices.

    ACFO Osafo-Affum stated that fire outbreaks affects the country’s human resource and the economy.

    ACFO Osafo-Affum mentioned a major challenge of the Service as prank calls, adding that some of the public misuse the emergency lines which affects the operations of the Service.

    He called on the public to collaborate with the Service in ensuring that lives and properties were saved.

    “Fire safety is a collaborative efforts and all must partner the service in ensuring that lives and properties were saved in the country.

    He advised the public to make fire safety issues a priority and called the Service on emergency numbers 192,112.

    ACFO Osafo Affum assured of the GNFS determination to ensure that fire outbreaks in the country were reduced and urged the public to have positive attitudinal change towards fire safety issues.

    Source: Ghanaian Times

  • NPA and security organizations in Accra crack down on an illegal cylinder repair facility

    In Makola, Accra, the National Petroleum Authority, Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), and Ghana Police Service conducted a search on an illegal cylinder refurbishing factory and detained seven people.

    The accused were engaged in repairing damaged cylinders and reselling them when they were apprehended after receiving a tip.

    During the operation on September 16, 2022, three-cylinder trucks weighing between 5 and 14.5 kg, wielding tools, cutting and grinding equipment, paints, and accessories were all seized from the suspects.

    Director of Gas at NPA, Mrs. Akua Ntiwaa Kwakye speaking with journalists explained that “upon the Authority’s investigations, we found out that the suspects were operating at this yard without permit and certification from the appropriate authorities.”

    “It is obvious they are compromising on quality for their parochial interest at the detriment of the unsuspecting consumers of gas,” she added.

    Mrs. Kwakye further added that these refurbished cylinders form part of the major causes of fire outbreaks that take place in various marketplaces, workplaces, and households.

    She pointed out that the high number of household fires that had lost lives and property had made the NPA’s action crucial, and she said that it was essential for everyone to denounce these bad deeds.

    In the meantime, Mr. M. A. Korsah, Assistant Director of Safety at GNFS, asked all LPG users to be vigilant for some of these subpar cylinders that have been reintroduced into the system.

  • Adhere to fire safety instructions, Tema GNFS cautions institutions

    The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) Tema Regional Command Safety Department has admonished institutions and companies to adhere to fire safety procedures to reduce outbreaks in the country.

    Divisional Officer Grade III (DOIII) Nancy Amaka officer in charge of the Safety Department expressed concern about the flagrant disregard for our safety, stressing “security and safety must go hand-in-hand, it is suicidal to play security above safety, when you build a house only with security in mind, in case of emergency, you will notice that you have limited safety exit point”.

    DOIII Amaka stated after leading a three-member GNFS Fire Risk Assessment Audit team to Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office to conduct a risk assessment, stressing that putting a fire prevention plan in place can significantly reduce the extent of damage that a fire can cause and help to avert one from breaking out in the first place.

    “As part of the assessment we outline fire emergency evacuation plan details with the institution on how staff, throughout the building, can exit in a safe and appropriate manner,” she said.

    Addressing the GNA Tema Regional officials after the audit which was also conducted at Plan B FM, and GBC Obonu FM, and other media houses in Tema including the Graphics Group Communication, and the New Times Corporation, she called for proactive engagement with the service.

    DOIII Amaka said the aim of carrying out a Fire Risk Assessment is to remove or reduce the risk of hazards and to determine what safety measures are needed to ensure the safety of everyone in the building. There are various things to consider, including fire detection and warning systems.

    “Fire risk assessment is an organized look at what, in your work activities and workplace, could cause harm to people from fire. It will help determine the chances of a fire occurring and the dangers of fire that the workplace poses for the people who use it.

    “We have done this auditing over and over, recommendations have been written, reports have been sent, you go back the following year and you realize that most of the things that were recommended had not been put in place,” she said.

    She said the failure of some people to adhere to safety measures, for both private and commercial facilities, to prevent fire incidences was worrying.

    She noted that adhering to safety practices contributed immensely to the growth of the economy and encouraged Ghanaians to call on the Service in cases of fire outbreaks.

    She said while the Service was devising measures to reduce fire outbreaks, it needed support from the public for the efforts to succeed and called on both private and public institutions to request the GNFS risk assessment, if necessary, to prevent any unforeseen occurrence.

    Assistant Divisional Officer Grade II (ADOII), William S. K. Klebeti, said the audit was to identify the various fire hazards with the institutions and companies to indicate the necessary recommendations to them adding that it was also to assess knowledge on some of the workers on some equipment they use.

    Source: GNA

  • Parts of Tamale, Sagnarigu submerged in floods

    Numerous homeswere evacuated late Friday night as the Sagnarigu township and the Tamale metropolis were swamped by a torrential downpour.

    However, there has not been any report of casualty.

    The downpour, which lasted about six hours, also caused damage to an unspecified number of properties, while a number of cars, tricycles and motorbikes were swept away as sections of roads were completely taken over by the flood water.

    Checks by the Daily Graphic indicate that areas including Gumani, Kanvili, Tuunayili, Jisonayili, Kunyevila and Nyohini were severely affected.

    There was pandemonium at Gumani, as the main road linking Kanvili and Tuunayili was submerged by the flood water.

    Displaced persons

    Hundreds of residents who were affected by the flood in different parts of the metropolis are currently putting up with relatives and friends, while others were seen scooping water from their rooms when the Daily Graphic went round the affected communities last Saturday.

    Some residents of Rice City (Gumani), Jisonayili, Kanvili and Tuunayili, the hardest hit by the flood, were seen trying to salvage the remains of their soaked personal belongings.

    It was the timely intervention of the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) that prevented road users from being trapped in the flood in the affected areas.

    When contacted, officials of the Northern Regional Office of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) said they were currently on the ground undertaking an assessment to ascertain the extent of damage caused.

    Days after the devastating flood, the victims are still counting their losses, although commercial activities have bounced back in the metropolis.

    A resident, Adam Salifu, whose house was completely submerged, said he had lost all his belongings to the flood.

    Another resident, Safia Amadu, blamed the flood on poor drainage systems and choked gutters in the area.

    While calling for the drainage systems to be fixed, as well as for other challenges resulting in the flooding situation to be resolved, she also called on the authorities to, as a matter of urgency, go to the aid of victims with some relief items.

    Flooding has become an annual phenomenon in the Tamale metropolis and its environs.

    Last year, the GNFS in the Northern Region averted a possible major fire disaster when it spotted a fuel leakage at a filling station and controlled its flow as a four-hour downpour flooded parts of the metropolis.

    Imminent

    The fire disaster appeared imminent and brought to mind the June 3, 2015 incident in Accra, as petrol from an underground storage tank of the fuel station at Vittin, a densely populated area on the main Tamale-Yendi road in the Tamale metropolis, floated on the flood waters that swept across the community.

     

    Source: Graphic Online

  • Fire razes down over 200 wooden structures at Adjiringanor

    The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has revealed that over 200 wooden structures have been destroyed at Kofi Togo near Adjiringanor, a suburb of Accra, due to a fire outbreak.

    The fire incident happened on Friday evening,  August 12, 2022.

    According to the Fire Service, no casualties have been recorded and the Service managed to save about 150 structures from being destroyed.

    This was as result of the four fire appliances from Legon, Headquarters, Madina and Adenta fire stations used to fight the inferno.

    Currently, it is unknown what may have caused the fire.

    FIRE OUTBREAKS IN 2022

    The Ghana National Fire Service has revealed that 20 fire outbreaks were recorded on a daily basis during the first half of the year.

    In total, 3,678 fire outbreaks have been recorded, representing a 21.38% increase from 3030 fire cases recorded during the same period in 2021.

    The Ashanti Region recorded the most cases (772), representing 19.63% of the total cases. With 690 cases, the Greater Accra Region ranked second. The Volta Region recorded the least figure with 16 cases.

    Thirty-five lives have been lost so far this year to fire outbreaks, the National Fire Service said in a statement sighted by The Independent Ghana.

    “I85 deaths were recorded through road traffic collision incidents as against 2022 for the same period in 2021. 17 lives also perished through other rescue missions (flooding, depths, and heights rescue) as against 14 for the same period in 2021,” the Service added.

    The number of rescued cases also grew this year to 84 from 71 recorded in 2021.

    According to the Service, the harmattan weather experienced from January to March played a role in the number of fire cases recorded as well as the non-adherence to fire safety precautions.

    Causes of the fire outbreaks included “electrical faults which stem from circuit overload; arcing: short circuits; inferior cables; compromised or poorly done electrical installations; over-aged wires and earthing problems: Gas leakages; unattended cooking: unattended lit candles; mosquito coils: matches und poorly done hot works from welding and deliberate acts.”

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • Fire guts residential building at North Kaneshie

    The first floor of a residential building was gutted by fire on Saturday morning near Mascot hotel at North Kaneshie in Accra.

    The top floor of the building which houses three separate apartments was completely destroyed by the fire.

    Occupants of the house were not at home at the time the incident occurred.

    It took the Ghana National Fire Service one and half hours to extinguish the fire and prevent it from extending to other houses as well as an ECG substation.

    Speaking to Citi News, D.O1 Kofi Forson, Ag. Deputy Director of Operations at the Ghana National Fire Service indicated that the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

    Initial reports however suggest that it started from the kitchen of one of the apartments.

    It took over an hour to bring the fire under control.

    “Our men were able to confide the fire within the top floor and ensure that the fire would not spread to the adjoining building,” the officer said,

    “Just about 10 meters away, an ECG substation was there, so we needed to prevent the fire from getting to that area.”

    The first floor of a residential building was gutted by fire on Saturday morning near Mascot hotel at North Kaneshie in Accra.

    Source:citinewsroom.com

  • Eleven fire officers dismissed for recruitment fraud

    Eleven fire service personnel, including two senior officers have been dismissed from the service over recruitment fraud.

    The management of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) announced this in a statement issued on August 5, 2022.

    The dismissed officers were involved in various acts of indiscipline ranging from vacation of post to recruitment fraud.

    The statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, T. Osafo-Affum, said the “Service would like to assure the general public of its commitment to uphold the highest disciplinary standards and shall always take appropriate disciplinary action against recalcitrant officers.”

    The statement added, “Management would also like to encourage the General Public to report any acts of indiscipline against any personnel of the Service or call the Public Relations Department on 0299341436 for any inquires, clarifications or complaints.”

     

    Source: Graphiconline.com

     

  • Fire Service sacks 11 officers for recruitment fraud, indiscipline

    Eleven officers of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) have been dismissed after they were fingered in a recruitment fraud.

    The officers, according to a statement from the service and addressed to Daily Graphic, were fired on the grounds of indiscipline.

    The statement indicated that those dismissed were composed of two senior officers and nine junior ranks.

    Further details showed that the officers partook in various indiscipline acts that ranged from the vacation of their posts to their involvement in recruitment fraud.

    “Service would like to assure the general public of its commitment to uphold the highest disciplinary standards and shall always take appropriate disciplinary action against recalcitrant officers.

    “Management would also like to encourage the General Public to report any acts of indiscipline against any personnel of the Service or call the Public Relations Department on 0299341436 for any enquiries, clarifications or complaints,” the statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, T. Osafo-Affum, on August 5, 2022, said.

     

    Source: Ghanaweb

     

  • Fire ravages Mile 7 market in Accra

    Portions of the Mile 7 Market in Accra have been ravaged by fire on July 29, 2022.

    Officials of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) were on the ground to battle the inferno.

    After hours, the fire was doused.

    Details of the cause of the fire are immediately unknown, but the Service is investigating the matter.

    GNFS posted photos and videos of the ravaging fire on its social media pages.

  • When will it stop Fire Service bemoans attacks, heckling of its officers in line of duty

    The Ghana National Fire Service has embarked on a campaign to end what it says a negative behaviour on the part of the public against its officers who report to fire scenes.

    In various instances during fire outbreaks, the fire service has been accused of failing to show commitment in discharging their duties.

    In a lot of such instances, the fire service has been accused of either reporting too late to fire scenes or reporting with no water or required materials to put out a fire.

    But beyond criticism, the public sentiments against the GNFS seem to have grown to become physical as the service is reporting about heckling and manhandling of its officers by members of the public in the course of discharging their duties.
    In a recent post on its Facebook page, the GNFS shared a video of some of its officers being heckled and harassed at a fire scene.

    “The attacks must stop. When at all is the public going to stop attacking firefighters who come to their aid at the peril of their lives from performing their lawful mandate? The hecklings and man-handlings are unnecessary. Enough of attacks on firemen. These negative behaviours on the part of the public must stop now!” the service wrote.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Fire Service shuts down electronics shops in Ho and Sogakope

    The Volta Regional Fire Service has locked up some major electronic appliance outlets in Ho and Sogakope over fire certificates.

    A swoop led by Mr Richard Bisimpo, Regional Fire Safety Officer, in collaboration with the Police, closed down branches of retailers, including Class House Electronics and Victor Electronics for their inability to produce fire certificates for their premises.

    The Officer told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the visit was the fourth in an attempt to get the outlets to acquire and to renew the certifications.

    He said the shops would remain closed until the required standards were satisfied.  

    The team also visited the West African Football Academy (WAFA) training facility at Sogakope and inspected fire hydrants, water distribution systems, and fire alarms.

    Some petrol stations in the South Tongu District were also examined on maintenance and use of electric power systems.

    Mr Bisimpo said electronic appliance retailers were key targets due to the fire susceptibility of their products and must meet the standards on fire prevention and safety.

    He expressed concerns over the low level of compliance in the region, and said the exercise was a “wake up call to all who are aware that the fire certificates are necessary but are not acquiring them.”  

    Mr Bisimpo asked managers and operators to consider the importance of fire certificates, saying it helped ensure adequate preparation against fire outbreaks and other emergency situations.

    “The fire certificate details provisions for fire incidents and includes extinguishers, hydrants, emergency assembly points, smoke detectors and alarm sounders.

    “Businesses without fire certificates are killing the nation,” he said.  

    The Officer further advised that emergency assembly points were marked clearly, and said the Fire Service was available to offer training sessions on handling emergencies for staff.

    Source: GNA

  • Accra Mayor and National Fire Service contradict NADMO and NPP on causes of market fires

    Government officials appear busy to hang the various fires in the market on the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

    An arrest has been made in the Volta Region, in connection with the Kantamanto market fire outbreak in Accra about a week ago, and pro-New Patriotic Party (NPP) newspapers, including Daily Guide, have in a coordinated manner reported that the alleged arsonist, is a supporter of the opposition NDC.

    NPP activists and Deputy National Youth Authority boss, Akosua Manu, on Metro TV, on Monday, December 21, 2020, painstakingly pushed the arson on the NDC and directly accused the party’s National Chairman, Samuel Ofusu-Ampofo, as the one behind the fires, insisting that the alleged audio recording which has him in a criminal trial, has elements of market burnings, murders and kidnapping among other criminal activities.

    Interestingly, the Mayor of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mohammed Adjei Sowah and the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Ellis Robinson Oko, did not mention arson, but suggested that the fires are due to illegal electricity connection in the markets.

    The AMA boss in particular, said the illegal connections in the markets, are being addressed with an arrangement with the Millennium Development Authority (MIDA) to redevelop the markets, adding procurement procedures are ongoing.

    Both the Accra Mayor and the Ghana National Fire Service, Ellis Robinson Oko, separately spoke from the scene of the fire.

    Indeed, in the Kantamanto market fire, it is emerging that a contract has been awarded to a private company, Gold Coast Contractors to modernize the market.

    It is unclear, whether the company deliberately set out the fire in the densely populated market as a means of clearing the place ahead of the construction, which is likely to meet some resistance from the traders.

    But, ahead of the arrest in Ho, the Deputy Director-General of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), had alleged arson against the NDC, although he did not provide any basis.

    Abu Ramadan, had taken to Facebook, hours before the arrest “Fire under control. You want to be President but yet burning markets and peoples investments lost. NDC a curse to Ghana”.

    The newspapers, including Daily Guide, The Searchlight, the New Crusading, the Finder and others, have in a syndicated publication claimed that the man was arrested in Volta the Regional capital, and the police sources gave his name as Daniel Dah Kormlah, 41.

    According to the newspapers, police sources have disclosed that Daniel was identified through police investigations into the Kantamanto fire incident.

    The reports said that police and other intelligence agencies had begun arresting persons believed to be linked to recent arsons in some markets across the country.

    In November the Odawna Market in Accra, got burnt, followed by Kantamanto market then followed by the Kaneshie market, Ghana News Agency (GNA) reported that some nine shops got burnt.

    The Liberty House branch of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) also got burnt. In Koforidua in the Eastern Region, a fire incident occurred.

    The newspapers claimed that a joint team of Police and Intelligence operatives left Accra on Thursday, December 17, 2020, in pursuit of the suspect.

    The suspect was arrested at his hideout in Ho in the Volta Region on Friday evening December 18, 2020, at about 10 pm. It said that upon further interrogation, it was realized that the suspect was an active member on various political platforms, namely NDC Group Administrators, Renaissance Agenda 2020, among others.

    The report said phone records showed several conversations with other persons aimed at incitement to riot and possible conspiracy to attack other state institutions.

    It claimed that the suspect had admitted to the said conversations and to engaging with like-minded persons to execute some acts with the potential to breach the peace of the nation, sources say. The security agencies are carrying on with their investigations to apprehend more suspects in the coming days, one source stated.

    The NDC’s Lawyer, Edudzi Tamakloe, fired back at Abu Ramadan in another Facebook post, saying “Ordinarily, I won’t give this further publicity but this is the Deputy National Director of NADMO making a serious allegation of arson against a political party without basis”.

    “In any serious country, the Police should be inviting him to give a statement. But nobody will call him because he is the in-law of Dr Bawumia. In 2012, Let My Vote Count did a rally in Taifa with many speakers”.

    One young man who spoke at the event stated clearly that “they (NPP members) should burn the markets and bomb schools to attract international attention.”

    Abu Ramadan was a member of that group. They think others will do what they possibly did in the past. A deputy NADMO boss, do a fire incident report to the Police. This is shameful”.

    Indeed, there are suspicions that the NPP is using the fires to demonize the opposition NDC to defuse the ongoing demonstrations against the irregularities that the party is complaining about with respect to the 2020 election.

    The Police service is yet to officially speak on the matter of the arrest and the extent of its investigations.

    The GNA reports that he Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has called on the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to undo illegal connections at market places to avert the increasing incidence of fire outbreaks at such places.

    Ellis Robertson Okoe, Divisional Officer II, Head of Public Relations, GNFS, said such checks were important because investigations into the fire incidents showed that most fires were caused by electrical faults.

    The call followed another fire outbreak at the Kaneshie market on Saturday, after similar incidents were recorded at the Kantanmanto Market in Accra and other markets in the Eastern and Central regions.

    He said the markets had witnessed congestion over the years with new power connections, some of which were done illegally and haphazardly and must be checked.

    “So until these issues are checked, the fires will continue.”

    Mr Okoe said a Fire Service personnel had an electric shock when fighting the Kantamanto Market fire a few days ago, and stressed the need for illegal connections to be checked.

    “This disrupted fire fighting for about 30 minutes because we had to call ECG to cut off the power before we continued.”

    “This made some people to conclude that the Fire Service came to the scene to watch if there was an outbreak before bringing our fire tenders to start fire fighting, which was not the case” he added.

    Mr Okoe advised ECG to as a matter of urgency deploy a task force to check and undo illegal connections at the markets.

    The PRO also called on traders to ensure that they always extinguished naked flames after cooking in the markets.

    The Kaneshie Market fire, which occurred in the late hours of Saturday night, engulfed nine fabric shops, which also served as a tailoring shop and a warehouse.

    Out of the nine shops, six were totally burnt and the remaining, partially salvaged.

    Mr Okoe said the fire was brought under control at midnight and totally extinguished within 30 minutes.

    He said the cause of the fire was not immediately known but suspected electrical faults.

    Source: The Herald

  • Ghana records 5,033 fire outbreaks in 10 months

    At least 5,033 fire outbreaks were recorded nationwide from January to October this year by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) as against 4,623 within the same 10-month period last year, which shows an 8 per cent rise.

    Out of the cases recorded, domestic fires were 1,758, industrial 99, vehicular 483, institutional 126, electrical 460, commercial 682, bush fires 1,199 and others 226.

    The damage the fire caused to properties was estimated at GH¢28,421,058.18.

    The Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, Divisional Officer Grade One (DOI) Ellis Okoe Robinson, disclosed this to the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday, adding that 23 people died and 31 suffered injuries as a result of fire outbreaks.

    He said Ashanti Region recorded the highest number of cases of 990 and North East Region recorded the lowest of 22.

    DOI Robinson said as efforts to reduce the fire canker in the country, the Service would intensify its education to the public to ensure they abided by the best practices.

    He said the GNFS would sustain collaboration with key stakeholders in the discharge of their duties.

    He mentioned some of the challenges of the Service as accessibility into markets during fire outbreaks, stating that kiosks, shops and other structures had been mounted at the entrances, making it difficult to have access to structures during emergencies.

    The PRO said 175 acres of land were destroyed by bush fires across the country and urged farmers to construct farm belts when burning their bushes.

    “Hunters and palm wine tappers should endeavour to put off their naked fires after use,” he added.

    DOI Robinson appealed to Government to provide them with more logistics, adding that the Service currently had only 200 fire tenders countrywide with a good number of them having broken down.

    DOI Robinson said the public must endeavour to make fire safety their priority at all times.

    The Fire PRO urged stakeholders, especially Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, to collaborate with the GNFS when constructing markets.

    “Market authorities should also engage the services of fire wardens for their markets,” he added.

    He appealed to the media to partner the Service in its educational drive.

    The PRO urged the public not to overload their sockets, and endeavour to put off and pull out plugs from sockets when leaving their offices and homes.

    He said the public should call 192 emergency line when there was a fire outbreak.

    Source: Ghanaian Times

  • MMDAs urged to constitute District Fire Service Communities

    The Savannah Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Assistant Chief Fire Officer Kwasi Baafour Awuah, has urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to constitute District Fire Service Committees to help deal with fire-related disasters.

    He said sections 15 and 16 of the GNFS Act 537 required MMDAs to form fire committees to deal with fire-related disasters and environmental issues.

    Mr Awuah, who said this in an interview at Bole, stated that Municipal and District Assemblies in the Savannah Region were yet to form the committees.

    He urged the Assemblies in the Region to provide GNFS with funds to support fire volunteers to help curb bush-fires.

    The Assistant Chief Fire Officer said, that bush fires which were destructive to the environment and human lives, could be stopped if the appropriate authorities supported the GNFS.

    “We have been talking about it but people seem not to realise that climate change is not just happening because the climate just wants to change, but human action is what is inducing climate change,” Mr Daniel Banuoku, Deputy Executive Director, Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Organisational Development (CIKOD) said.

    He expressed worry that northern Ghana was at the peril of all development challenges, including health, nutrition and poverty.

    He emphasised the need for support to help stop the menace and urged traditional authorities to sensitize the communities on the effects of bush fires.

    “I believe that when the Traditional Authorities and community people decide to take action and set an example, arrest somebody and put the person behind bars for burning the bush, people will take this matter much more seriously.

    “We need to intensify the education to appeal to the hearts of the people to let them see the practical impact of climate change and that it is as a result of our actions that we are getting these results to ourselves,” Mr Bnuoku stated.

    The Environmental Activist said they would work with Traditional Authorities, the media and other stakeholders to deepen the sensitisation on the effects of bush burning and to get the people to take the needed action at the community level to stop the practice.

    Source: GNA

  • Bono Regional Fire Service decries abuse of emergency phones lines

    The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in the Bono region has decried the abuse of its emergency telephone lines by the general public.

    The Regional Commander, DCFO Heroine Sekyere Boakye, has revealed that her outfit receives many pranks calls.

    According to DCFO Heroine Boakye, the practice has become a major challenge affecting their operations in their quest to fight fire outbreaks in the region.

    She disclosed that because of their preparedness and willingness to serve the public, fire personnel are immediately deployed to supposed disaster zones when they receive emergency calls but some of these calls turn out to be prank calls.

    Describing it as worrying, she said that her men only get to the ground before realising that they have been misled or tricked.

    The situation the commander avers is affecting their operations as it takes a lot of resources to move the fire tender on trips.

    “One major challenge we are facing is prank calls from the public. It is really affecting our operations as movements of the fire tenders to suppose disaster scenes come at a greater cost. When this happens it affects the morale of the personnel.”

    She revealed that placing pranks calls to the emergency unit affects their work as they are unable to attend to actual disaster scenes on time.

    “The other danger is that someone in dire need of our service may be deprived access to us because of the irresponsibility on the part of some individuals.”

    She urged the public to desist from such practices as it is not in the interest of the public.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Security services to remain on existing pension programmes Oppong Nkrumah

    The government has excluded security services in the country from the unification of pensions.

    The security services would remain on their already-existing pension programmes.

    This was disclosed by the Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah at a press briefing in Accra on Thursday, 20 August 2020.

    Mr Nkrumah noted that the decision was reached to exclude security services such as the Police, Immigration, Prisons, Fire and all other such services and intelligence agencies after it examined a report on the National Pensions Act, 2008 (Act 766),

    This, he said, prompted the government to direct the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations to have the law amended to make room for the changes.

    “Cabinet considered the recommendations of the report seeking the following actions for the completion of the unification process;

    “One, the exclusion of the security services that is the Police Service, the Immigration Service, the National Fire Service, the Prisons Service, as well as other security and intelligence agencies”.

    “Two, the amendment of Act 766 to exclude the security services from the unification of pensions”.

    “Cabinet granted approval for the above actions and directed the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations to commence processes to have the law amended to reflect this decision.

    “The decision, therefore, is that the security services will not be subject to the unification of pensions and will remain on their old pension programmes.

    “The security services will not be subjected or included in the programmed to unify pensions. They will instead remain on their already existent pension programmes like the Cap 30 and the other pension programmes that exist,” he said.

    The Minister explained that the reason for the exclusion of the security services from the unification process is because of the peculiar nature of their task and the risks they face in their line of duty.

    Ghana began processes to unify its pension regime in 2018.

    With an approval from Cabinet to develop a roadmap toward the unification of the regime by 2021, the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations has engaged stakeholders within the sector in a bid to unify all parallel pension schemes and incorporate them under the three-tier system as stipulated in the National Pensions Act, 2008 (Act 766).

    Source: Class FM

  • GNFS organizes in-service training for personnel in Oti

    Mr Nuhu Gibri, Oti Regional Director, Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has said human resource development has become a cardinal component in the successful implementation of Service organisational policies.

    He said the Service is therefore determined to enhance the capacity of its personnel to reflect its mandate as a professional fire fighting and management institution charged to effectively protect life and property.

    Mr Gibril made the remarks at in-service training for personnel of GNFS in its Municipal and Districts in the Oti Region.

    The training was to ensure that personnel were abreast with best practices in road traffic collision strategies, security intelligence, and discipline in the core mandate and jurisdiction of the service.

    He said it was also to equip the personnel with the requisite knowledge and skills that would enable them “apply the transformed skills to their operations to modernise the value of service delivery to the public in the protection of life and property.”

    The Commander said with the training, personnel operations would be enhanced in the areas such as fire safety, emergency response, rural fire, maintenance culture, collaboration with stakeholders, sustenance of cooperate image branding, security alertness and performance of other special assignments in the interest of the social well being of society.

    The personnel were taken through joint counter-terrorism interoperability, road traffic collision (RTC), and operations of fire police brigade.

    Participants lauded the in-service training and requested it be regular towards raising standards and their efficiency.

    Source: GNA

  • DCE cut sod for construction of new fire station at Diaso

    Mr Asiedu Agyemang, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Upper Denkyira West has cut the sod for the construction of a new fire station at Diaso.

    This is in fulfilment of a promise by the Assembly to provide the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in District with a befitting fire station for it to adequately and effectively discharge its duties.

    Dunkwa-on-Offin Fire command before the establishment of a temporal fire station in the area in 2018 was serving the area, leading to the huge loss of property due to the distance and the bad nature of the road.

    The new fire station would have ten offices, an appliance bay, washrooms, and a training square.

    The DCE commended the personnel of the Service for their dedication and commitment to duty despite the limited infrastructure and resources.

    DOI John Amarlai Amartey, the Central Regional FireCommander expressed gratitude to the Assembly for the initiative and said the nature of their work required constant training and drills which was not possible at their current location.

    “Even the regimental duties cannot also be performed, therefore affecting the morale of personnel”, he said.

    He praised the Diaso Fire command for their selfless dedication to duty amidst prevailing challenging conditions.

    Source: GNA

  • Tankers explosion kills child

    A two-year-old boy was burnt beyond recognition when two Diesel tankers caught fire near a filling station at Apremdo in the Effia-Kwesimitsim Municipality of the Western Region.

    The boy was sleeping in a metal container close to the scene when the unfortunate incident occurred.

    According to sources, the Diesel tankers were parked behind the filling station, awaiting orders from pump managers to discharge fuel into reservoirs.

    The cause of the inferno was not immediately known, but some of the residents claimed that at about 3:00pm, they heard a blast from where the tankers were parked and realised the place was up in smoke.

    “Most of the people in the area, including the mother of the two-year-old boy who was selling in the container, started running away to safety. The mother later realised that her two-year-old boy was sleeping in the metal container and before she decided to go back for the little boy, the inferno had gutted the container,” an eyewitness narrated.

    The eyewitness said the mother of the boy was seriously injured when she tried to go and rescue him and was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

    When DGN Online got to the area at about 3:15pm, heavy dark smoke could be seen in the skies.

    Most of the people there were seen praying for the firemen to extinguish the fire because it was getting close to nearby pump stations and a market.

    Before the fire was brought under control, more than half a dozen metal containers had been razed by the wildfire.

    The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana National Fire Service in the Western Region, Emmanuel Bonney, said the fire fighters were able to bring the fire under control some few minutes after arriving at the scene.

    He cautioned the public against rushing to fire scenes to take pictures and converging around since they put their lives at risk.

    Source: Daily Guide Network

  • Huge recruit numbers force Ghana Fire Service to turn SHS into recruits training camp – Minister reveals

    Officials of the Ghana National Fire Service have had to use a Senior High School (SHS) at Ada in the Ada West District of the Greater Accra Region as training camp due to the backlog of recruits who needed to be trained.

    Minister of Interior, Ambrose P. Dery, who revealed this on the sidelines of a two-day training programme for Crime Officers, stated that the facility, though not approved, had to be used for three months in order to reduce the numbers of persons waiting to be trained.

    Read: GRA risks missing 2019 revenue target as benchmark values reduction backfires

    “The agencies are still struggling especially the Fire Service. They had to use a school in Ada for three months to be able to cope with the facilities”, he disclosed in reaction to claims made by the minority ranking member of Defense and Interior, James Agalga of secret recruitment in the security agencies.

    The Minister stressed, “there is no truth in the fact that there is any secret recruitment anywhere.”

    It would be recalled that the minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Wednesday October 30, 2019 accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of secretly recruiting party thugs into the security services, stressing that the 2018 list of qualified police recruits was replaced with a list of these persons.

    In a press statement released and signed by James Agalga, the ranking member on the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, they accused the Interior Ministry of secretly recruiting persons into agencies under the ministry “in total disregard of established procedures for the recruitment of personnel into those agencies” in favour of “those connected to the NPP in one way or the other.”

    “The attention of the Minority in Parliament has been drawn to an ongoing recruitment exercise of personnel into agencies under the Ministry of the Interior namely; the Police Service, Prisons Service and the Ghana Immigration Service in total disregard of established procedures for the recruitment of personnel into those agencies,” the press statement states in its opening paragraph.

    The statement then detailed how the government halted the lawful process of recruitment into the police service and replaced the list of properly selected and qualified candidates with a list provided by the government:

    “In specific reference to the Police, sometime in 2018, the government of President Akufo Addo announced that financial clearance had been given for the recruitment of 4000 personnel into the service. Accordingly, the service advertised for the recruitment of 2000 in the first instance, whereupon, prospective recruits applied through the e-recruitment model. The applicants, we are reliably informed went through all the necessary procedures including meeting the academic requirement of having a minimum of six credits (Maths and English inclusive), taking part in a competitive exam and going through a thorough medical examination. After this, the Police administration then compiled a list of qualified applicants in readiness for publication and the issuance of invitation letters for the commencement of training.

    Read: Ghana Immigration Service debunks rumours of secret recruitment

    The otherwise smooth recruitment exercise embarked upon by the Police administration took a nosedive when the government of President Akufo Addo suddenly ordered the former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Asante Apeatu to suspend the recruitment exercise until further notice.

    Subsequently, a new list other than the list originally prepared by the Police administration was compiled and submitted by the government of President Akufo Addo to the police administration for the issuance of invitation letters for training.

    The crux of the above narrative is that the recruitment exercise undertaken by the police administration in 2018 following the grant of financial clearance by the Finance Ministry was truncated at the tail end and taken over directly by the NPP government contrary to its own commitment to stamp out fraud and cronyism from the recruitment of personnel into the security agencies,” the statement revealed.

     

    Source: mynewsgh.com