Every household needs a fire extinguisher – Fire Officer
William Sackey, the Assistant Division Officer of the Ministries fire station of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has urged every household and office to have one fire extinguisher preferably CO2 fire extinguisher.
Mr Sackey said it would serve as a control measure for fighting small domestic fires and prevent it from spreading.
“The CO2 fire extinguisher is best suitable for indoor small scale fire-fighting as it is not harmful. We take fizzy drinks that contain carbon dioxide, and it does not harm us. The CO2 extinguisher can be used in fighting fire in the kitchen,” he said.
He said this at the stakeholder workshop organised by the GNFS for estate officers with the Ministries, Departments and Government Agencies in Accra on Wednesday as part of activities marking this year’s fire safety week.
The workshop was aimed at sensitising the estate officers on fire safety measures as a move to combat the menace in the country.
Estate officers are responsible for the allocation of offices to staff as well as maintaining buildings and properties.
Mrs Naomi Ofori-Adubea, the Commander of the Fire station, called on state institutions to fully participate in fire safety workshops rolled out in the country.
Mrs Ofori-Adubea said the move would give them the opportunity to be schooled on the fire preventive measures in their organisations to reduce the rate of fire outbreaks in the country.
She noted that fire-fighting was a shared responsibility and announced that a Fire Risk Assessment Audit was yet to be conducted to probe state institutions to ensure that they paid more attention to fire safety.
This, she explained, would subject the institutions to be compliant with fire safety regulations and participate in fire safety activities.
“Private organisations have demonstrated maximum cooperation, whilst state institutions have paid little attention to the education of fire safety. They don’t take our recommendations into consideration” she added.
The Commander expressed confidence in the Audit framework and urged the institutions to accord it enough support to make it effectual.
She said “I advise that recommendation made in the Audit should be implemented to the latter.”
Source: GNA