Tema, – The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), as part of its duties in firefighting, has launched a safety campaign to create awareness on fire safety, especially within the Tema Area.
The GNFS Tema Regional Commander, Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) Grade I Doris Lamptey in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Tema during a float to launch the campaign said the service was upbeat to create awareness to curb the frequent fire outbreaks.
“We don’t want the fires to escalate before we are called, so we want to educate the public to help curb fires to its minimum, adding that so many activities could start a fire and that ‘ is why we want to educate the people’.
She said the campaign was not going to be ‘just a one-day show, our surveillance intelligence indicates that since the beginning of the year, there has been a high incidence of fire outbreaks in the slums.
“This is just the beginning but we are going to move into all the slums within the Tema region with this form of awareness and education to ensure that fires within the slums are curtailed,” she said.
ACFO I Lamptey also expressed concern that most people do not call the right GNFS emergency numbers when there is a fire outbreak, as some call different jurisdictions, making it difficult for them to respond and locate quickly.
She advised that every individual should know the GNFS emergency numbers of 192 and National Number of 112 in times of emergency to enable them to act promptly and prevent fire outbreaks from causing harm to lives and properties.
“The GNFS exist to serve the people of Ghana, to save lives and properties, by preventing and managing undesired fires”, and urged the public to keep their surroundings clean.
“Fire safety is a shared responsibility and not only the duty of the GNFS but every individual,” she added.
ACFO I Lamptey urged the public to have confidence in the ability of the GNFS and seek its services during emergencies, “do not attempt to face the fire outbreak without calling the GNFS. Do not wait until situations get out of control before you call”, she added..
Source: Ghana News Agency