The entire Tamale Metropolis which is the Northern Regional capital relies on only one fire hydrant for putting out fires should any emergency break out in the city.
Officials of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) also reveal that the same hydrant located at the University for Development Studies Graduate School is also relied on by the Sagnarigu district urging residents to only bang their hopes in prayer there would not be fire outbreaks because the situation could be disastrous.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) of the GNFS, Godwin Damalie disclosed that ironically the regional fire station has no hydrant where water could be drawn in order to put out fire should the need arise adding that out of the 21 Water Hydrants in the Tamale Metropolis, only one Water Hydrant is functional
“…..unfortunately where my regional office is, the hydrant there is sealed, there is no hydrant in the yard and it is very very difficult. Tamale is lucky nothing serious has happened. We are praying that the hydrants are put in place before anything serious happens”.
During a dialogue meeting organized by the League of Youth Associations for some selected Service Providers with the Tamale Dakpema, Naa Alhassan Dawuni at his Palace he appealed for the Hydrants at Aboabo, Gumani, Lamashegu, Ward K., Tamale Teaching Hospital and Nyohini to be opened for the fire Tenders to fill water.
He also lamented over certain challenges including speed rumps and tricycles impeding fire fighting within the Tamale metropolis in times of emergencies
“There are a lot of speed rumps within the Tamale Metropolis, when you are coming, you have to slow down, drive over the rumps before you get to the fire scene. Accessing water is problem, you have to drive slowly and when you get to the scene; people vent their anger on you and sometimes beat and vandalize the fire engine”.
“The yellow yellow too, we can’t run into them when they are on the road and that is also a major challenge”.
In response to issues of fire hydrants, the Production Manager of the Ghana Water Company Ltd. Mr. Joseph Azumah promised to meet the GNFS to consider the Hydrants that can conveniently be reactivated to assist in fire fighting and not for commercial purposes.
According to him, the GWCL is currently rationing water in the Tamale and Sagnarigu areas to be able to serve all since the water produced is inadequate. Mr. Azumah noted the GWCL is only producing 7 to 10 million gallons of water instead of the 23 million gallons per day, hence the need for rationing.
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