Be fire conscious – GNFS advises

Accra, Feb. 14, GNA - The Ministries Fire Station Safety Taskforce has patrolled Tema Station and environs with a call on patrons to be fire conscious as the harmattan intensifies.

Leading the Taskforce, Divisional Officer Grade two (DOII) Mrs Naomi Ofori-Adubea, Commander of Ministries Fire Station, urged the public to help reduce fire outbreaks in the season by adhering to safety measure from the Service.

She said on the onset of the harmattan season, the Safety Taskforce had been patrolling the areas under its jurisdiction in the night to prevent any fire occurrence especially in places such as the ministries, hotels, the Bank of Ghana and the Arts Centre.

She said fire does not fear or respect anyone but once it gets an opportunity to destroy lives and property, it does so, hence the need to adhere to all safety precautions to reduce or do away with fire in the homes, market places and offices.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mrs Ofori-Adubea said, it was identified that most drivers in the Tema Station did not have fire extinguishers and that even those who had, it was either expired or the bottles were empty.

She said the Taskforce also identified that a trader selling gas oil close to kitchens within the market, and additionally without fire extinguishers.

She said the taskforce urged the Market Queens to as a matter of urgency, segregate all those who were cooking from clumsy areas especially from those who sold clothes or petroleum products.

Mrs Odori-Adubea used the opportunity to educate the market dwellers on the usage of gas cylinders and how they could avoid explosions saying, "never fill your gas cylinders to the brim so that there can be spaces for bubbles whenever they are being shaken".

The Commander said after filling the fire extinguishers, it should rest for about ten minutes before usage to avoid explosions.

She urged market dwellers not to overload electrical gadgets on socket and always remember to unplug them once they were not in use, adding that there was the need to avoid extension cords in wet areas.

She urged the market to; "try and cook from home, and bring to the market dwellers to avoid," and not allow children to play with matches by placing them out of their reach.

Mrs Odori-Adubea asked them to replace all frayed electrical cords and to desist from being connected to electricity illegally.

She urged the public to always remember to call 192 or 112 to report any incidence of fire to ensure that fire outbreaks were reduced drastically.

GNA