B/A: Ghana Fire Service To Form Taskforce To Control Fushfires

The Brong Ahafo regional office of Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), is planning to set up regional level task force on October, 2017, to control bush fires.

Regional Assistant Chief Fire Officer, James Owusu-Agyei, said fire outbreak increase yearly in the region, “due to this the region has been named second in terms of bush fire in the country”.

“The task force will there be empowered to patrol bush fire endemic are to discourage bush burning as well as bush fire offenders for prosecution” he added.

Mr. James Owusu-Agyei made this known during 2016 end of year review with media’s held in Sunynai at the regional head quarters on Thursday.

He said the region recorded a total of 644 fire outbreaks last year (2016) as against 633 incidents in 2015, representing 1.73 percent rise.

Mr. James Owusu-Agyei said out of the figure, 36.3 percent were bush fires, 35.5 percent were domestic fires, 12.3 percent were Vehicular fires and 5.1 percent were Commercial fires.

He added that 10 people lost their lives to fire whiles over 145others sustained various degrees of life threatening injuries. “The Command was also able to attend to about 63 Road Traffic Accidents out of the lots due principally to logistical constraints” he stated.

According to Regional Assistant Chief Fire Officer, James Owusu-Agyei, this year the regional Command will ensure that all institutions that are expected to acquire fire certificates do so.

“In order to accomplish this, the Command has developed a database system that list of all institutions and businesses in the region as well as their certification status.This system will help the Command identity defaulting institutions and businesses operating without or with expired fire certificates to contact our Safety Department to acquire fire certificate” he stated.

He said “The institutions who fail to collaborate with the Service will be either prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of LI 1724 or closed down until they meet the statutory requirements in this regard” he added.

“Positioning of rapid response RTA teams along the Techiman-Kintampo, Kintampo-buipe and Wenchi-Bole Bamboi highways. Statistics indicates that most of the road traffic accidents in the region occur along these highways accidents because the rescue of these people is done by non-professionals who worsen their injuries leading to their death. The positioning of these rapid response teams will ensure prompt response, extrication and transportation of trapped accident victims to nearby health facilities. I will therefore like appeal to business and philanthropic individuals to come to the aid”.

“The command is faced with a litany of challenges key of which include rapid response vehicles of RTAs and pickups and motor bikes for fire education. In the light of these, I wish to appeal dispassionately to NGOs, Businesses and philanthropic individuals to come to our aid since the Command is committed to provide world class services given the right logistics” he concluded.