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Fire service bemoans construction of burglar proofs

By GNA
Social News chief fire officer kwame kwarteng 2013
SEP 9, 2013 LISTEN
chief fire officer kwame kwarteng 2013

Accra, Sep 09, GNA -Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) Kwame Kwarteng, Accra Regional Fire Officer, on Monday appealed to building contractors to ensure that the construction of burglar proofs in their homes did not hinder free movement during fire outbreaks.

He said there had been instances where people perished during fire outbreaks because of their inability to escape due the hindrance of burglary proof gates.

DCFO Kwame Kwarteng, who was speaking during the launch of 2013 Safety Week celebration by the Accra Regional office of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), said  the wrongful placement of burglary proof gates had also hindered the rescue mission by fire men on numerous occasions.

The Safety Week Celebration is marked every year to educate the public on the need to ensure fire safety, especially as the dry season approaches.

He said marking safety week had gone a long way to ensure that communities were safer and less exposed to the destruction and devastation caused by fire.

'The challenge must now be to maintain clear focus on fire precaution, community safety and resilience and continually work together to deliver consistent safety messages aimed at minimising fire outbreaks,' he said.

He commended authorities of the GNFS for establishing the Standard Framework which makes the GNFS accountable to communities in which it operated and collaborate closely with partners locally and nationally to deliver better services.

'The Standard Framework also make it incumbent on us to identify and assess the full range of foreseeable fire and rescue related risks involved in our work, make provision for prevention and protection activities and respond to incidents appropriately,'  he added.

DCFO Kwarteng advised fire officials to engage their communities by giving them real understanding of their work so that they (community members) would understand why the Service sometimes take certain decisions.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) Ebenezer Simpson, Acting Safety Director, GNFS, said fire safety was everyone's responsibility and urged all to get on board.

For safety tips, he appealed to people to switch off all electrical appliances when not in use, report emergencies to the nearest fire station and desist from soliciting the help of unqualified electricians.

He urged Ghanaians to also desist from overloading their electrical sockets, keep cooking cylinders far from cookers and prevent curtains from covering air conditioners to avoid generating heat.

Activities earmarked for the week long celebration which starts on Tuesday, include a float, safety education, inspection of premises of organisions, seminars for service providers and inter district games.

The Accra Region of the GNFS include offices at Makola, Industrial Area, Dansoman, Weija, Madina, Korle Bu, Amasaman, Legon, Ledzokuku Krowor, Adenta, Legon and the Osu Castle.

Captions: Deputy Chief Fire officer (DCFO) Kwame Kwarteng Accra Regional Fire Officer launching the 2013 Fire Safety safety week in Accra.

Picture 010, 009, 016  show  DCFO Kwame Kwarteng speaking at the launch of the Safety Week in Accra

GNA

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