THE news that the Ghana National Fire Service (GNSF) cannot fight fire on high-rise buildings in this country set many Ghanaians thinking, including Today newspaper.
ESPECIALLY so, when this was coming from the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of GNFS, Divisional Officer, Prince Billy Anaglatey.
ACCORDING to Mr. Anaglatey, his outfit is ill-equipped to douse fires beyond five floors of any building. That bombshell meant our current GNFS cannot rescue any building beyond five floors which will be on fire.
“…so if those high-rise buildings do not have the facilities that will assist the firefighters to get to floors above the fifth floor, then I think we are in trouble. We are in trouble in the sense that when we are able to get to the fifth floor we can only manage with our skills and expertise to get to the floors above that. This approach is not enough considering that life and property that will be at risk. That is why the fire service has and will always continue to call on owners of such buildings to make sure they meet all the set standards. As an institution, we would appreciate it if the owners of high-rise buildings will strictly adhere to our fire safety regulations,” he warned.
THIS is not only sad, but pathetic to say the least. Why this is the case is something Today is finding it difficult to comprehend.
SIGNIFICANTLY, this problem of logistical constraint is not peculiar to only GNFS. Indeed there are several other state institutions/agencies which are handicapped in one way or the other when it comes to the effective execution of their mandates.
THIS, Today believes, has been one of the major hurdles hindering many of our state agencies from working effectively and efficiently.
IT was in this regard that the PRO of GNFS charged estate developers and individuals who put up such buildings to ensure that facilities that will aid the job of GNSF in fighting fire in such buildings are in place.
WHILE urging them to ensure that their high-rise buildings strictly adhere to all fire safety regulations, it is imperative that our GNFS is provided with adequate resources, without which they will be incapable of doing their job to our expectation.
AND this is a call Today will place squarely at the doorstep of central government. To be very blunt GNFS is one state institution that continues to lag behind in terms of adequate logistics.
WHY this has been the trend is something the paper cannot come to terms with. That is why we are calling on the Akufo-Addo administration to do all it can to provide the GNFS with the logistics they need to carry out their duties.
TODAY would not want a situation where this problem will become a permanent feature of our GNFS. That will indeed portend danger for especially residents residing in such facilities.
THIS is the more reason why government must adequately resource GNFS. For after all, a well resourced fire service will go a long way to serve us better.
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