The Disaster Which Never Was

We can describe it as a disaster of sorts but with no fatalities accompanying it. We can heave a sigh of relief and say Hallelujah.

A few days ago, social media was busy with the dissemination of the usual amateurish news about another gas explosion in Tema. The stories added that many lives were feared dead and our memories went to the Trade Fair area incident and the number of people who perished.

The issue of disaster prevention should be taken more seriously than we are doing now. We must at this stage commend management of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) for their swift and effective response in containing what could have been a major inferno in the history of disasters in the country.

We are aware about how the fire was threatening spreading to other areas. The fire fighting personnel were stretched to their seams. Their training, equipment and commitment all were brought to bear on the raging fire. Although vehicles were lost to the fire, it is a loss which did not come anywhere near what the impact would have been had human beings died.

Ghanaians must understand more about fires and how these can be prevented and in case they occur what they can do even as they call fire fighters.

The GNFS, considering the obvious lack of knowledge of basic safety rules in households, must be encouraged to heighten their education programmes across the country.

A few weeks ago, we discussed this subject against the backdrop of domestic LPG accidents and the fatalities following these.

While persons at home can be excused for committing certain blunders in their use of LPG, those vending the stuff on commercial platforms must be seen to be expressing consciousness  about safety precautions and to do their work with these at the back of their minds.

Following the Trade Fair fire incident, we have learnt about how certain precautionary measures were ignored and how these eventually led to the loss of lives.

The GNFS is imbued with certain powers so personnel can ensure that those operating important yet inflammable stuff such as LPG are on top of their business; safety measures being paramount.

Periodic inspection of such facilities must not be marginalized but rather heightened so that any signs smacking of recklessness are addressed appropriately and swiftly. Fires are fast in destroying and leading to fatalities within a short period of time.

In spite of these facts, most people rarely appreciate the task of the only state agency empowered to fight fires and to ensure that adequate education is given to the citizens on their preventions.

We cannot afford to have those operating commercial LPG plants ignore GNFS directives on safety. It is not enough to display certificates from the GNFS when directives from the service on safety are flouted with recklessness.

We also call on the Interior Ministry to resource the GNFS to ensure that it supervises periodic fire drills at fuel and LPG stations across the country. This way, eventualities can be managed even before fire fighting teams arrive at the scene of fires.