Fire outbreaks take downward trend owing to public education

Fire outbreaks in the Accra Metropolis reduced from 226 from January to April last year to 189 during the same period this year.

Mr. Samuel Yankey, Greater-Accra Regional Fire Officer, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra, said false alarms also reduced from 31 to 22 during the same period.

Mr Yankey, who is an Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO), explained that this was an indication that public education by the service had gone done with residents in the Metropolis.

The Fire Service, the Regional Fire Officer said, had always advised the public on safety measures to handle fires.

He stated that a total of 95 out of the 189 fire outbreaks from January to April this year, were Domestic.

Mr. Yankey said Vehicular and Commercial Fires followed each with 21 outbreaks, with Bush; Electrical Installations; Industrial; Institutions; and Refuse following in that order with 16, 14, 9, 8, and 5 respectively.

The ACFO stated that the Fire Safety Department normally "conducts inspections on various premises to identify potential fire hazards which can contribute to outbreaks, and gives advice on how to prevent such risks."

The Regional Fire Officer advised commercial and business enterprises within the Metropolis to comply with the Fire Safety Regulations enshrined in the Fire Precaution (Premises) Regulations 2003, LI 1724 before acquiring Fire Certificates for their premises.

He pointed out that failure to adhere to safety requirements and regulation was contrary to the Fire Safety Regulations Law, which he said, attracted sanctions.

To ensure the enforcement of Fire Safety Regulations and Codes, Mr Yankey said Fire Safety Inspectors conducted periodic inspections at sites for building projects and existing ones, to make premises well protected and safe for use.